Saturday, April 30, 2011

Battle and Blitz Day 12, April 30



Taylor's Chip-In contributors didn't increase yesterday. :-(  She still needs to raise $3,183 for her medical mission trip to Israel where she will be loving on kiddos with broken hearts (literal broken hearts that need "mending").  I ask you today, that if you cannot donate, to please spread the word.  Ask your friends, your church members, broadcast it on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Spread the word; share some love, in memory of Chrissie.  Taylor's an AMAZING young lady in need of our help so she can fulfill God's mission in her life right now.

Day 12 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz, Focus #2:  Mission Mending Broken Hearts in Israel, Taylor Nicole

Day 12 of Chrissie's 31-day battle, April 29, 2010: 
Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7

PS If you'll think back to September 2010, remember when I asked you guys to help rescue Julia? Well, gues what?!? She's HOME! Y'all ROCK! Many thanks to precious Adeye from No Greater Joy Mom for advocating for this treasured daughter of the King, and many thanks to the 300+ people who donated to give this little girl a hope and a future with her forever family. Congratulations Schwenzer family!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Battle and Blitz Day 11, April 29

Today I am grateful that about 9 of you have donated to help send Taylor to Israel on a medical mission to help heal broken hearts.  Every little bit helps.  Taylor still needs $3,183.  Please spread the word.  With God, all things are possible. 
Day 11 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz, Focus #2:  Mission Mending Broken Hearts in Israel, Taylor Nicole

Day 11 of Chrissie's 31-day battle, April 29, 2010:  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Day 10: BOSS YOUR HEART DAY!!!

If you haven't read a single post about Chrissie's 31-day battle, I HIGHLY recommend that you read THIS POST.  This is the account of Chrissie's "Boss Your Heart" day.  This day last year was the most stressful, drama-filled day of Chrissie's 31-day battle, in my opinion, yet it was also the most miraculous.  I recorded 16 blog entries on April 28, 2010, so there was obviously much call for prayer on this day last year.  There was so much God-directed drama involved, from Chrissie's cardiologist obeying God's call to go to ancient Nineveh on a heart mission, to Chrissie "bleeding out" and having an emergency wean from the life-saving ECMO machine, before her heart and lungs were ready, to God teaching Chrissie how to boss her heart...and lungs.  God saved Chrissie on this day last year, and to read about the numerous events that He lined up to occur on this very day last year still completely blows me away.  If you ever have a doubt about what God is capable of, just read THIS POST and be encouraged.  God is so much more than we can ever fathom.

Day 10 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz, Focus #2:  Mission Mending Broken Hearts in Israel, Taylor Nicole


Day 10 of Chrissie's 31-day battle, April 28, 2010 (Boss Your Heart day):  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12, Post 13, Post 14, Post 15, Post 16 (This is the post that details the miraculous story of Chrissie bossing her heart.  Still completely amazes and overwhelms me to read about all of God's miracles.)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Battle and Blitz Day 9, April 27

Last year on this day was totally stressful, watching the doctors fight to clear a clot that caused "vena cava syndrome", which kept the ECMO machine from working properly, which jeopardized Chrissie's life.  I've been reading through each post from Chrissie's 31-day battle, and I continue to stand in awe of all God did during that time.  Sometimes it seems impossible that He really did THAT much, but I LIVED it, WITNESSED it first-hand, EXPERIENCED it, and I'm here to proclaim that God is more than we can ever fathom.  He is capable of more than we believe.  The scripture, "With God, all things are possible", really is TRUE.  I hope you'll take time to go read (or re-read) all that God did each day during Chrissie's 31-day battle of 2010.  Her journey is truly miraculous.

This week we are supporting another truly miraculous girl, Taylor Nicole.  My prayer today is that each and every one of you reading this will take a moment to donate just $5 to Taylor Nicole, so that she will be able to go to Israel, as God has called her to.  With God, all things truly are possible, and God is inviting us to join Him in His work.  Let's watch Taylor's funding grow, then we can watch her help heal broken hearts in Israel, in memory of Chrissie!  Taylor is one courageous young lady; please show your support.  Leave a comment on THIS POST to let Taylor know you're praying for her!  Please donate just $5 (or more!) via the Chip In below to send Taylor to Israel!

Day 9 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz, Focus #2:  Mission Mending Broken Hearts in Israel, Taylor Nicole

Day 9 of Chrissie's 31-day battle, April 27, 2010 (complications due to clot that compressed right atrium, not allowing ECMO to work, "vena cava syndrome"; another miracle):  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8 (oh, the stress!), Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12, Post 13 (miracle), Post 14 (oh the roller coaster ride!)


The ChipIn isn't showing my donation, but I know it went through as I received my Paypal receipt the night I donated.  I'm hoping many of you have already donated as well, but if you haven't, please take a moment today to send just $5 (or more).  Thank you!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Meet #2 of 4: Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz

I am excited to announce the second focus of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz.  I actually shared this amazing young woman with you not too long ago, and it's my pleasure to dedicate one week of the Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz to help send this courageous young lady all the way to Israel to help mend broken hearts!  I'm honored to announce Taylor Nicole as this week's memorial blitz focus!!!  If you didn't read Taylor's story of her life back in March, please click HERE to read it.  You will be SO INSPIRED.

Taylor is a precious young lady who has hydrocephalus and Cerebral Palsy, but she doesn't let either of these conditions keep her from obeying God's will.  She is one COURAGEOUS gal.  I was blown away when Taylor introduced herself to me after God gave us Selah, our hydrocephalus baby.  Taylor is an inspiration BIG TIME.  She speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic.  She weighed 1 pound 12 ounces at birth. She's had 15 surgeries and a brain tumor.

And she's going to Israel as a medical missionary, despite all that she's been through, despite all that she currently struggles with, and despite the things that could "go wrong".   WOW!

Taylor has less than 2 weeks to raise her remaining funds in order to go to Israel, as He has called her to do.  Taylor has worked SO HARD to try to raise these funds on her own, but she still has $3,554 left to raise by May 6.  I wish so much that I had the entire amount to give to Taylor, as she is such an incredible inspiration, but I am praying God will shower blessings upon Taylor and give her the necessary funding during this week of the Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz.

Will you please read Taylor's story below, which will inform you of how she "met" our family, as well as inform you of what God has called her to courageously do for Him.  Her story reminds me so much of what Chrissie's MIGHT have been if God had chosen to heal Chrissie on this earth because Taylor has that same fighting spirit, a princess warrior, just like Chrissie.  And how fitting that the mission God has called Taylor to is MENDING BROKEN HEARTS, in the same country where Dr. Porisch prayed for Chrissie in the Jordan River.  The same country that Dr. Porisch wrestled with God over, as she didn't want to leave Chrissie back on April 28, 2010, but God asked Dr. Porisch to go to Ancient Nineveh despite what her heart wanted to do.  God taught Dr. Porisch to "boss her heart" on the exact same day that He taught Chrissie to!  And the timing of supporting Taylor this year, as we are in the one-year anniversary of Chrissie's 31-day battle, is the EXACT SAME WEEK!  It was this same week last year that Dr. Porisch left for Israel, and this year, we are hoping to raise money to send another miracle girl, a warrior princess to Israel for a medical mission trip to heal broken hearts.

It's just too much.  It overwhelms me to think of God organizing and orchestrating so many connections ahead of time.  Our God is so much more than we ever fathom.  So much more.

Please join me in praying for Taylor, donating to send her to Israel, and spreading the word so more can read about God's amazing ways.  I'm off to donate to Taylor.  Please join me!

Written by Taylor:

I was introduced to Princess Chrissie on April 19, 2010, the day of her open-heart surgery. I followed the link shared in another blogger's post, and spent that day reading about and falling in love with Christyn Joy Patterson and her feisty, determined fighting spirit.

On April 19, I was in the process of filling out paperwork and researching flight options. In just a few short weeks, I would be on a plane bound for Jerusalem, Israel. As I researched, read, and scribbled notes, a small voice in my head reminded me, "It's not too late. You can still turn back. You don't have to go. This is Israel, after all; you know the risks...." I decided to take a break from paperwork and "what-ifs", and check my email, take a peek at Facebook, and read some blog updates.

As one particular blog loaded, and the images and text filled my computer screen, I came face-to-face with a beaming Princess Chrissie in her pink princess dress and jewelry. I quickly read through the blogger's post, and clicked on the small blue link that would take me to Lorraine's blog.



During my four weeks in Jerusalem, I held babies from Gaza, made cookies with mothers from Kurdistan, sang worship songs in English, Arabic, and Kurdish, and got to know the families and staff. We laughed and rejoiced, cried and mourned, shared meals, took pictures, played games, danced in the streets of Jerusalem, and grew to love each other.
Just five days before Chrissie went to Heaven on May 19, we said goodbye to a precious little boy. On May 14, five-year-old Ahmed went to be with Jesus after a six-month battle for life. I sat with his mother in the tiny hospital room that night as we wept, prayed, and finally sang worship songs over him as he left his earthly body and entered God's kingdom in Heaven. It was one of the most difficult, and yet most meaningful, things that I have ever done.


My four weeks in Israel were filled with experiences that stretched and challenged me more than I had ever imagined. All the while, God reminded me of Princess Chrissie "bossing her heart." So I summoned my courage, followed Chrissie's example, and "bossed my heart" as I prayed with mothers from Kurdistan, cuddled babies from Gaza, and kept late-night vigils beside the hospital beds of precious children that I had come to know and love. 









(And another amazing "coincidence": I recently found out from Lorraine that one of the doctors who I worked alongside in Jerusalem last summer (an American cardiologist) has worked in Iraq with the same medical mission team as Dr. Porisch, was the one who connected the Pattersons with Dr. Porisch, and he also played a critical role in bringing Chrissie home to her family! How incredible!)
Almost one year later, God has called me back to Israel. I'm stepping out in faith to answer God's call again, returning to Jerusalem to heal broken hearts and share the love of Jesus with the families that I will meet.

Only one thing stands in my way: Money. I have $3,554 left to raise (out of $4,100) by May 6. That amount covers the cost of airfare, pre-trip medical appointments, travel visa paperwork, room/board and food, and any incidentals or emergency expenses.

I don't really like to ask for help, but that is another thing that God has taught me through my missionary journey! I know without a doubt that this is where He wants me to be, but I can't get there on my own. And so, I am asking for your help! I have a variety of fundraisers available on my blog: Puzzle pieces, cuddly stuffed animals, and a Christian ministry theater script. You can find more information HERE.

Please, will you consider supporting me, either financially or in prayer? No contribution is too small; it all adds up and it all is greatly appreciated!

I am eager to see what God has for me to learn during this trip to Israel. And I know that Princess Chrissie will be with me every step of the way, helping me to "Boss My Heart"!



Day 8 of Chrissie's 31-day hospital battle, April 26, 2010 (this was "Miracle Monday" where we fasted for Chrissie, she had another open-heart surgery, God healed most of her heart, and the ECMO cannulas were moved to her neck, and her chest was closed!):  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4 (wow!), Post 5, Post 6, Post 7

Monday, April 25, 2011

Battle and Blitz Day 7, April 25


Today is the last day for The Stewarts/Ian to be the featured focus of the Memorial Blitz.  This photo is of Ian wearing his forever daddy's shoes, at his orphanage in his home country.  Unfortunately, his forever daddy's shoes are in America now, while Ian waits in his orphanage in his home country.  He's waiting for his family to return to rescue him, but they cannot go get him until they have raised all of their funds.  Please show your support and help get Ian HOME where he can put his daddy's shoes on every day, every time he wants to, where he'll know he's surrounded forever by faith, hope, love, joy, laughter, life, and FAMILY.  Time is running out quickly for Ian before he's transferred to an adult mental institution (at the young age of 5).  Be sure to leave a comment of encouragement for them. 

Tomorrow will be a new featured need of the week for the Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz, but Ian won't be coming home until all his funds are raised, so don't stop praying, supporting, and spreading the word for that sweet boy, in memory of Chrissie.

Day 7 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz:  Supporting The Stewarts by Saving Ian.

Day 7 of Chrissie's 31-day hospital battle, April 25, 2010 (still on ECMO, showed signs of brain function and movement):  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8 (awesome/fun/glorifying news in Post 8!), Post 9

To DONATE to help Ian come home, click HERE!



Monday's Meditation: A Boss Your Heart Message

Thank you, Kirsten Walkup, for today's devo.

Written By Kirsten Walkup:

If I want to make my head hurt, I’ll sit down and contemplate all the consequences of the resurrection of Christ. The reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the mandate to spread that message throughout the world has been an effort of earth-altering proportions. Empires have fallen and societies crumbled in the wake of the awesome majesty of Messiah and His message of hope. His resurrection having sealed the eternal covenant between God and man, the Truth of His Word shook the geopolitical elements of this world to their very foundation.  As incredible it is to analyze just what the Christian movement, fueled by the authority Christ’s resurrection granted it, was able to accomplish globally in just a few short years after its inception, it’s even more amazing to realize what the resurrection of Jesus Christ means on an individual level.
Jesus was always misunderstood by those around Him, including His disciples. They didn’t understand that His mission was not to deliver the Jews from their Roman oppressors, rather it was to deliver mankind from their sins and give a way in which all men may come to the knowledge of salvation. Until He rose from the grave, the disciples were still at a loss for what Christ was really on earth to do. Though they knew that Jesus was the most amazing individual they’d ever known, their view of Him and His purpose was much smaller than what the reality was. Their focus was on the physical, Jesus’ mission pertained to the spiritual. Once they saw Him alive, however, the scales that clouded their vision were removed and they were able to see Jesus for the deliverer He was always destined to be.
On a personal level, my salvation, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ and forever secured by His miraculous resurrection, means that I can choose freedom in Christ over bondage in sin. It means that I have a hope and a future that extends far beyond the confines of this mortal body and existence. The salvation my redeemer has granted me means that I have full, unfettered access to the throne of God almighty and I can petition Him directly. In short, the resurrection grants me a freedom that I do not deserve and cannot attain in any part through my own works. Because He lives, I am free.

Luke 24:1-7
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8
He Is Risen!
J330
kw

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Battle and Blitz Day 6, April 24; HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!

Chrissie Easter 2010


Crazy Patterson Kids Easter 2011
(Everyone was well by Saturday, so we got outside and dyed some Easter eggs!)

Scrumptious Easter colors.  Oh how I love Easter.  And Spring.  New life.  Hope.  Beauty.  All things made new.  Thank you, Jesus.  Words are not adequate.

"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."
~S.D. Gordon

"...He is risen..."
Matthew 28:6

We wish you a blessed Resurrection Sunday!

Chrissie, we're quite jealous that you're celebrating with the Risen King face to face.  Can't wait to join you!!!


Day 6 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz:  Supporting The Stewarts by Saving Ian. Thank you all so much for your support of The Stewart Family.  Y'all are awesome.  If you'd like to win a free Boss Your Heart book, be sure to leave a comment so that you'll be eligible.  All you have to do is leave a comment when you pray, donate, or spread the word.  I also want to note that when you leave a comment here, you are sending direct encouragement to The Stewarts, so even if you don't really care about winning the book, it would still be a blessing for The Stewarts to view your comments of support.  Thank you, y'all rock!

Day 6 of Chrissie's 31-day hospital battle, April 24, 2010 (still paralyzed and on the ECMO machine, but started to wean paralytic drug on this day last year):  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Battle and Blitz Day 5, April 23


This is Third Day's adoption video to their song "Children of God". 

I LOVE IT!  You have to watch it until the very end.  So powerful.  Gave me chills and made me smile when I saw what everyone did at the end.  So true!

Day 5 of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz:  Supporting the Stewarts and Saving Ian, in memory of Chrissie.  Thank you to everyone who has already donated to help bring Ian home.  There aren't many comments on the original post, but I've heard from a few of you privately, and Gretchen says donations are being given, so thank you from the depths of my heart.  I'm always blown away by the love of so many of you who read this blog.  Please share that love with The Stewarts.  Please keep spreading the word, praying, and supporting The Stewarts, in memory of Chrissie. 

Day 5 of Chrissie's battle, April 23, 2010:  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4,

To DONATE to help Ian come home, click HERE!






Grab This!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Supporting The Stewarts

Just in case you missed the post on Tuesday about the Stewart Family, I'm reposting it again on Good Friday.  Last year on April 22, 2010, Chrissie lost her life for over an hour in the PICU.  We were so very grateful that God brought her back.  It seems crazy to me that this anniversary falls on Good Friday, the day Jesus gave His life for you and me.  He did this so we could have eternal life, and as much as I was grateful that God sent Chrissie back to us last year on this day, I'm even more grateful that Jesus gave His life for us so we will be able to live with Him in heaven forever and ever and ever. 

I pray that every person on this earth will receive His precious gift, the gift of His blood, shed for you and me.  I cannot imagine missing out on eternal life in heaven.  I pray each and every Believer will be given a heart like His, one that loves, helps, and serves the least of these, as His Word tells to do.  Please help bring Ian home.  It's Day 4 of the first week of Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz.  Show your support for the Stewart Family, in memory of Chrissie, in celebration of all Christ has done for us and continues to do.  It takes an army to bring just one orphan home, and we need your support to help us spread the word to God's army of supporters!!!  Please repost this plea to your Facebook, Twitter, blog, email, etc. to spread the word, and most of all, please pray, just like you did for Chrissie, that God will raise the ransom to rescue precious Ian!

Here are links to Day 4 of Chrissie's battle, April 22, 2010 (most of these are really short posts, like only a sentence or two):  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8, Post 9, Post 10, Post 11, Post 12 (if you can only read one post, read this one, Post 12), Post 13 (well, Post 13 gives Post 12 a good run for its money)

Oh, and there's a 15-year-old girl in Haiti who needs a paper-ready family to commit to her within the next 4 weeks, or she will forever remain an orphan.  Click HERE to read about her.  Please pray for her and spread the word in search of her forever family!

Here's Tuesday's post, introducing you to the Stewart Family, who were led to their son, Ian, by Chrissie, through God's sovereignty:

It is  my great honor to introduce to you this week's featured child/need:  Ian, who is being adopted by The Stewart Family.  I was brought to tears when Gretchen Stewart contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know their story, which came about because of Chrissie.  Oh how I wish I could have a record of every family who was moved to adopt because of Chrissie!!!!!  Hearing stories like this is like a sweet salve to our hurting hearts.  I hope you'll be blessed by reading The Stewart's story, and I pray you'll bless them abundantly with your prayers and support!

The Stewart's Adoption Story
Written by Gretchen Stewart



Her smile saved him – and us!

I first came across the world of blogs in 2006, after my son Ari was born with some special needs. I was searching for answers on how other parents lived life with a special child. 4 years later, after turning reading blogs once a week, into a daily habit, I came across a small button for a little girl with a big smile, asking for prayer. Her name was Chrissie. Her smile had me hooked, and before my head knew what my hand was doing, I clicked.

That one click brought me here, to Lorraine’s blog. That one click also changed the lives of my family and many of my friends. I followed Chrissie’s story, sometimes 3 times a day while she fought the most elegant of princess battles, while she bossed her heart – and reached out to so many others to actually change their life paths. I went back and read through the Patterson’s blog, I learned all about Chrissie. I learned she was adopted, and I found a link there amidst her story, and before my head knew what my hand was doing, I clicked on Reece’s Rainbow.

Then…Chrissie went to heaven. Her presence though, never left me, nor the many images of her joyful smile. The pain her family felt when she had to go, and the victory they found to get back up and keep on going…I knew that had to result in something really positive. So, with the mantra, “Boss your Heart” playing over and over in my head, and with princess Chrissie smiling down at what I felt like was our family, we stepped out beyond what we thought was the limit of our faith, and we answered the call to rescue another.


This is Ian. He just turned 5. He has been an orphan since birth. Cast away because he has Down Syndrome, because of his ethnic heritage, and because of his bad heart. His chances for adoption? Millions and millions to one. The chances I would fall in love with Chrissie’s smile and her story, and be so moved by it that we too would adopt a child? Who even knows?  But odds, when GOD is a part of what is happening in your life, are not important. God knew it would be Chrissie that would shine a light from heaven to lead us here.


Last week we met Ian for the very first time. Our son. Chrissie’s memory was never far, as we crossed over and back more than 10,000 miles. This incredible gift, the life that Chrissie’s story and legacy has brought to us by helping us to have the will and faith to adopt an orphan with special needs, is something I can never tell that sweet girl thank you, thank you, thank you, for enough. Adoption changes you, forever. Orphan adoption changes you in ways you never imagined. Our family has been so blessed through this incredible journey, and it never would have happened without me seeing Chrissie’s sweet smile one day almost a year ago.


We didn’t know until last Monday that Ian’s little heart needs help. We thought it was taken care of in infancy, we thought he was good to go. He’s not. We were asked to make an on the spot decision – to refuse or accept heart surgery for him there, in Russia. We refused. Reece’s Rainbow has seen the loss of several children recently who had families coming for them, but who faced heart surgery under archaic conditions. Ian is thin, small, and needs to come home to get fed up, get loved up, and get seen by American doctors to prepare him, and us, for his own heart battle.




Our prayer now is that Ian’s heart will wait until we can return to complete his adoption. How long? Well, that depends on all of us. We have USCIS approval and our court dossier is ready for submission. All we lack now is the remaining money to free our boy and bring him home. Russian adoptions are some of the most expensive out there, and for Ian’s life, we are glad to lay before him $47,566.00. Today, we remain $18,000.00 short. We cannot return for Ian until we raise that amount. If we can raise it fast, like before the end of May, Ian will come home this summer, before the doctors try to operate on him there.


We humbly invite you to help! and we thank you too, for sharing in another one of Chrissie’s powerful works, so that we might save Ian and get him home in the next 2-3 months.

We have a unique and beautiful fundraiser happening right now for Ian. Our perfectly imperfect fundraiser can be found on our blog, where you can also see video of our little man dancing to the a,b,c’s the first time we met him!



or here



Ian has an extensive website too, that loves to be shared!


In Him,
Gretchen, Craig, and Ari – The Stewart Family

To DONATE to help Ian come home, click HERE!




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Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Live, Love, Laugh


(If you're viewing this in a reader or via email, go to the blog at http://www.allarepreciousinhissight.blogspot.com/ to view the video of Chrissie.)

When you choose to adopt, you choose to LIVE. 

When you choose to adopt, you choose to LOVE. 

When you choose to adopt, you choose to LAUGH.

There's no greater joy than witnessing a once forgotten orphan engage in laughter so deep that she turns blue (well, the turning blue part, not so joyful, but the laughter part, priceless).  Oh how I cannot wait to hear this laugh again when I get to heaven.

Please help The Stewart Family get their sweet Ian home so that he, too, will be filled with laughter, so he can get his heart fixed, so he will be surrounded always with a forever family who chooses to live, love, and laugh.  To God be all the glory, for He has done great things.  I continue to be amazed by how much Ian resembles his soon-to-be adoptive brother.  Brings tears to my eyes to know God used Chrissie to bring Ian his family.  Now we just need to get him HOME!

PS  Today is the Day 3 anniversary of Chrissie's 31-day battle.  April 21, 2010:  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7, Post 8

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Stomach Bug

Our 13-year-old daughter, Mattie, was hit with a horrible stomach virus Sunday night.  Tuesday night, I came down with it, and within the last 24 hours, almost everyone in our family has been hit with this fierce bug.  First Mattie, then Lorraine, then Parker, then Meribeth, then Ella, then Matt, then Asher.  Now Kiefer has diarrhea, but no vomiting yet, and Sawyer's stomach is hurting.  The only totally well people in our home are Naomi and Selah (the oldest and youngest kiddos), and I pray that those two will stay well!!!

Praise God that Mattie had enough strength today to serve her family with a joyful and capable spirit, just like she always does.  Meribeth had stepped in when Mattie was violently ill, taking over much of what Mattie does on a daily basis.  Now that Meribeth is sick, Mattie pulled herself out of bed and just took over...e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.  Full-time baby care (Mom can't get out of bed), serving all of the sick ones by bringing them Pedialyte and Saltine crackers, laundry, dishes, you name it, Mattie's got it under control.  My heart and home are so blessed by all of the help our kiddos give on a regular basis, and it's times like these, when almost everyone is deathly ill, that we're even more grateful for the caring, selfless kiddos who God has blessed us with.

This virus is *B*A*D.  Matt and I both feel like we've been in a train wreck, very flu-like, body aching from head to toe.  The average number of violent vomiting episodes per person is 8-10.  So not fun.  It's not food poisoning because I came down with it Tuesday afternoon/evening, and I hadn't eaten anything that the rest of the family ate that day.  It's the kind of virus where one cannot open one's eyes or focus or think or move.  Yucky.

On a much more positive note, Selah had an exam with an ophthalmologist Tuesday morning.  The neuro docs had concerns that with her tiny brain at birth, the 3 pounds of fluid on her brain at birth, and all of the trauma the brain has endured that she was at high risk of ocular impairment/issues.  The BIG PRAISE is that EVERYTHING is completely NORMAL for Selah's vision and everything ocular!!!  To God be all the glory.  He is able, and He is bringing about a mighty testimony for this little bundle of joy.  The eye doctor spent about 2 hours with Selah, she dilated her pupils, viewed her optic nerve, etc., and every single thing she checked for was all NORMAL.  Praise Him!!!  I just love it when He shows off like that. :-)

Don't forget to support The Stewart Family, in memory of Chrissie, during the Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz!!!  The Stewarts found Ian because of Chrissie, now let's help them bring him home in memory of Chrissie!

PS  Here's what happened last year on April 20, 2010.  Click to read:  Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4. We weren't stuck in bed in our homes with a stomach bug; we were stuck in recliners overlooking our daughter's hospital bed, on prayer vigil, watching God's miracles from front-row seats. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz


It was on this very day a year ago, April 19, 2010, that Chrissie went in for open-heart surgery.  If you didn't follow Chrissie's story in April 2010, you need to go read what God did during her 31-day battle.  There are SEVEN posts from last year written on April 19:  HERE is Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5, Post 6, Post 7.  We had no idea Chrissie would die on this day, but we were so very grateful that God so graciously and miraculously give her back to us for another 30 days.

Today, without her in our arms, we must choose joy over sorrow, but it is hard.  So very hard.  There's simply no way we could do this without Him, the One who gives us hope like no other.  While Chrissie was in the hospital, she taught us how to boss our hearts.  We didn't realize how many times we'd have to remember those words, "boss your heart", as we learn to journey our earthly lives without our precious daughter.  We had no idea how important that phrase, "boss your heart", would become to us on a daily basis, just about every moment of every day.  We remember Chrissie's example as we work hard to boss our hearts in sync with His Word, to take our negative thoughts captive, to purposely choose joy when it would be much easier to choose not to get out of bed.  But we will NOT let Satan have his way.  He would like nothing more than for our family to be overcome by grief and believe his lies.  We, as a family, are choosing to boss our hearts instead.

As the anniversary of Chrissie's 31-day battle is upon us, whether we like it or not, we must face the reality of this date.  Since we have chosen to boss our hearts in Chrissie fashion, we are choosing to help others during this "Boss Your Heart" memorial month.  Let's call it "Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz".  We'll be focusing on a different need each week from April 19-May 19, the anniversary of Chrissie's 31-day battle.  It is our greatest desire to keep Chrissie's legacy alive by helping others, particularly orphans, heart patients, and the sick/weak, while giving God all the glory and honor for the great things He has done and continues to do.

Would you please prayerfully consider joining us as we support the families that we'll be introducing to you over the next 31 days?  We'll dedicate 7 days to each featured family/need, with prayer that God will lift up an army of support for each family. 

I pray that you will help us spread the word by re-posting each featured family/child/need on your blogs, Facebook, twitter, etc.  We're going to give away a Boss Your Heart book each week to one person from the comment list on this post, and to be eligible, you just have to help.  Every time you pray for the featured need of the week, leave a comment on THIS post.  Every time you share the featured need of the week (via Facebook, Twitter, etc.), leave a comment on THIS post.  Every time you donate to the featured need of the week, leave a comment on THIS post.  Be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do, each time you do it.  We will use random.org to select a winner, and it's easiest to have all of the comments in the same place, with a separate comment for each thing you do because random.org selects the winner by using the number of comments.  There's no limit to the number of comments you may leave, just be honest. :-)

Without your support (your prayers, your donations, your help with spreading the word), we won't be able to fully witness what God plans to do with this.  It is OUR responsibility to help our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is OUR responsibility to help the orphan, feed the hungry, provide for the poor.  How will the world know this need if we don't take the time to share it?  How will this family's needs be met if we don't take responsibility, as the hands and feet of Christ, to give what we're able to help rescue Ian from life in an asylum?  Adoption is ridiculously expensive, and I hate that, but Satan loves it.  He tries to stop every single adoption, and finances is one way that he is sometimes victorious.  I hate that.  How can we let Satan win?  We simply cannot.  When a family is willing to adopt, the world should come alongside that family to help in any way possible.  Then no child would be left behind due to a family lacking the finances to provide the ransom.

God's Word tells us in Proverbs 24:12, "Once our eyes have been opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."  Please help open the world's eyes to the needs of others, and join us in prayer that God will make Himself famous as we take responsibility in helping others, in memory of Chrissie, during "Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz"!

"When God measures man, He places the tape around his heart."  ~author unknown

It is  my great honor to introduce to you this week's featured child/need:  Ian, who is being adopted by The Stewart Family.  I was brought to tears when Gretchen Stewart contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know their story, which came about because of Chrissie.  Oh how I wish I could have a record of every family who was moved to adopt because of Chrissie!!!!!  Hearing stories like this is like a sweet salve to our hurting hearts.  I hope you'll be blessed by reading The Stewart's story, and I pray you'll bless them abundantly with your prayers and support!

The Stewart's Adoption Story
Written by Gretchen Stewart


Her smile saved him – and us!

I first came across the world of blogs in 2006, after my son Ari was born with some special needs. I was searching for answers on how other parents lived life with a special child. 4 years later, after turning reading blogs once a week, into a daily habit, I came across a small button for a little girl with a big smile, asking for prayer. Her name was Chrissie. Her smile had me hooked, and before my head knew what my hand was doing, I clicked.

That one click brought me here, to Lorraine’s blog. That one click also changed the lives of my family and many of my friends. I followed Chrissie’s story, sometimes 3 times a day while she fought the most elegant of princess battles, while she bossed her heart – and reached out to so many others to actually change their life paths. I went back and read through the Patterson’s blog, I learned all about Chrissie. I learned she was adopted, and I found a link there amidst her story, and before my head knew what my hand was doing, I clicked on Reece’s Rainbow.

Then…Chrissie went to heaven. Her presence though, never left me, nor the many images of her joyful smile. The pain her family felt when she had to go, and the victory they found to get back up and keep on going…I knew that had to result in something really positive. So, with the mantra, “Boss your Heart” playing over and over in my head, and with princess Chrissie smiling down at what I felt like was our family, we stepped out beyond what we thought was the limit of our faith, and we answered the call to rescue another.


This is Ian. He just turned 5. He has been an orphan since birth. Cast away because he has Down Syndrome, because of his ethnic heritage, and because of his bad heart. His chances for adoption? Millions and millions to one. The chances I would fall in love with Chrissie’s smile and her story, and be so moved by it that we too would adopt a child? Who even knows?  But odds, when GOD is a part of what is happening in your life, are not important. God knew it would be Chrissie that would shine a light from heaven to lead us here.


Last week we met Ian for the very first time. Our son. Chrissie’s memory was never far, as we crossed over and back more than 10,000 miles. This incredible gift, the life that Chrissie’s story and legacy has brought to us by helping us to have the will and faith to adopt an orphan with special needs, is something I can never tell that sweet girl thank you, thank you, thank you, for enough. Adoption changes you, forever. Orphan adoption changes you in ways you never imagined. Our family has been so blessed through this incredible journey, and it never would have happened without me seeing Chrissie’s sweet smile one day almost a year ago.


We didn’t know until last Monday that Ian’s little heart needs help. We thought it was taken care of in infancy, we thought he was good to go. He’s not. We were asked to make an on the spot decision – to refuse or accept heart surgery for him there, in Russia. We refused. Reece’s Rainbow has seen the loss of several children recently who had families coming for them, but who faced heart surgery under archaic conditions. Ian is thin, small, and needs to come home to get fed up, get loved up, and get seen by American doctors to prepare him, and us, for his own heart battle.




Our prayer now is that Ian’s heart will wait until we can return to complete his adoption. How long? Well, that depends on all of us. We have USCIS approval and our court dossier is ready for submission. All we lack now is the remaining money to free our boy and bring him home. Russian adoptions are some of the most expensive out there, and for Ian’s life, we are glad to lay before him $47,566.00. Today, we remain $18,000.00 short. We cannot return for Ian until we raise that amount. If we can raise it fast, like before the end of May, Ian will come home this summer, before the doctors try to operate on him there.


We humbly invite you to help! and we thank you too, for sharing in another one of Chrissie’s powerful works, so that we might save Ian and get him home in the next 2-3 months.

We have a unique and beautiful fundraiser happening right now for Ian. Our perfectly imperfect fundraiser can be found on our blog, where you can also see video of our little man dancing to the a,b,c’s the first time we met him!



or here



Ian has an extensive website too, that loves to be shared!


In Him,
Gretchen, Craig, and Ari – The Stewart Family

To DONATE to help Ian come home, click HERE!



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Monday, April 18, 2011

A Year Ago Today; Butterflies Have a Way...

These are pictures from year ago today, April 18.  We had a princess party in our home for Princess Chrissie, the night before her open-heart surgery.  She was so excited, as she thought this was her birthday party since her brother, Sawyer, had his birthday a couple of weeks prior.  We had a cake and sang happy birthday to Chrissie, in celebration of Chrissie's heart being healed the following day.

This was the last time Chrissie was in our home on earth, but she will always be in our hearts.  And we live with great expectation through the hope and salvation offered by Christ our Savior that we will spend eternity with Chrissie in our new home in heaven.  Jesus, come quickly, please. 















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On April 16, 2011, almost a year after our princess last hugged our necks, we were invited to the Emily Ann Theatre in Wimberley to release a butterfly in memory of Chrissie.  The Emily Ann Theatre was founded by a family whose daughter (Emily Ann Rolling) was killed in a car accident just before Christmas in 1996.  They chose joy and helping others over drowning in their grief, and their little project has grown into an enormous community outreach where thousands of people visit each year.  The outdoor theatre is a blessing to more than The Rollings will ever really know, and we are grateful for the support and positive approach to grief that Ann and Norm Rolling have modeled so beautifully. 

These are two butterflies that were presented to us at the Emily Ann Theatre's 13th Annual Butterfly Festival.



The first butterfly that flew away went straight to Selah.  It landed on her sweater, as if to say, "I chose you!  I delight in you!"  It was a very sweet and touching moment.  Out of the thousands of places it could have landed (including hundreds of pieces of luscious cut cantaloupe), it chose Selah's sweater.  (Sorry about the poor quality of the picture.  I flipped my iPhone around to take the pic as quickly as possible so I didn't miss capturing this touching image.)


Meribeth and Mattie holding a piece of cantaloupe with a butterfly on it.

Chrissie's paver at the Emily Ann Theatre. 
She would have been Class of 2024
(Emily Ann Theatre's pavers have the name, class, and date of birth/death.)

Butterflies, you have a way of reminding me that God has a plan to make something beautiful out of something that doesn't begin very pretty.  A fuzzy caterpillar can be cute at times, we can even fall in love with that fuzzy little guy that tickles our arms as it crawls about.  We can feel sad when that fuzzy lil guy hides itself in an ugly white cocoon, but oh the joy we feel when we see God's beautiful transformation when new life comes out of that tomb, fluttering about with a new body.  The old fuzzy lil caterpillar is gone, but it's been made into a beautiful new creature, with wings, a creature that soars and does so much more than the limited abilities of a cute little caterpillar.  Butterflies, you have a way of making me smile, when I see you fluttering about, without a care in the world, dancing amongst the flowers, floating in the wind, and choosing to land upon a little baby's sweater, just to say hi for a moment.  Butterflies, you remind me of our princess, with her new body, floating about heaven, dancing with Jesus, without a care in the world.  A beautiful new creature who we will one day spend all eternity with.  Thank you, butterflies, for reminding me of God's miracles, His plan for new life, His way of making beauty from ashes.  Thank you, God, for surrounding us with your love, your beauty, your goodness, your miracles.

We love you and miss you, Princess Chrissie.
We can't wait to join you in heaven, baby girl!!!








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