We Are the Body

The above video montage of Joshua Parker was created by his big brother and best bud, Adam.

Sweet Jesus, please bless this boy and his family greatly as they wait for You to take precious Joshua Home.  If it be Your will, Abba Father, please grant them many more rich days to treasure Joshua's life on earth.  And, please Daddy, please won't  you stir up your people, your body, to come alongside this family and bless them with cards, gifts, prayers, and support?  We ask these things in your might Son's name.  Amen.

Click HERE if you'd like to know more about how you can help bring joy to Joshua and his family as this treasured 5-year-old boy lives out his last days on this earth.

Joshua's Joy

(This video montage is from 2009.  An updated one is being created by Joshua's brother, Adam, and will be released soon.)

I'm not exactly sure how one is able to obtain joy as one lives out his last days on earth, particularly when that little boy is just 5 years old and sick, sick, sick.  Joshua Parker is on hospice care and he is living out the last days of his life on earth.  I wrote a post about Joshua and his family HERE.

 

Thanks to so many generous donations from awesome people like you, Joshua's earthly daddy was able to take a leave of absence from his work so that he can be by Joshua's side until Jesus ushers Joshua into heaven.

Next week, on August 6, 2011, Joshua's parents are throwing him a birthday party in celebration of the 5.5 years Joshua has lived on this earth.  You're invited to participate in the party by sending your love to Joshua!  This is an awesome chance to make a difference in the last days of the life of a 5 year old boy.  What a rare opportunity!

Can you imagine being 5 years old and being so sick that you're on hospice care, knowing your days are very limited?  Can you imagine being the parents of a 5 year old boy who is living out his very last days on this earth, not knowing which day, which breath will be your son's last inhale?  Can you imagine being the sibling of your 5-year-old brother who will not make it to be six.  Oh my word, it's too much for me to bear, and I'm not even Joshua's mommy.  In fact, I've never even met Joshua, and it's too much for me!

But there's something WE can do to make Joshua's last days on this earth FUN instead of miserable.  Would you please help me spread the word about Joshua so that people around the world can bless Joshua with prayers, cards, and gifts for his 5.5 birthday celebration on August 6?!?

Joshua is a very sick boy who is confined to his bed most of the time, on hospice care.  He doesn't have the energy or ability to get up and play, so I asked Joshua's mom, Kate, to create a wish list for Joshua on Amazon.com of things that might bring Joshua joy during his last days on earth.

I truly cannot imagine trying to figure out how to make your child's last days the very best days of his life when your child cannot even leave his bed.  There will not be any trips to Disney World, no trips to the zoo, BUT we can give Joshua the best party of his entire life and we don't even have to leave our home. 

I urge you to click HERE to view Joshua's wish list.  I'm calling it Joshua's Joy!  These are the things that Joshua's family believe will bring him joy during his last days on earth.  The items on this wish list can be played with and enjoyed from Joshua's bed.  We do not know how much time Joshua will get to enjoy these gifts, but we do know that on Saturday, August 6, 2011, Joshua will KNOW he is loved, he is treasured, he is a precious child of the King of Kings.  Joshua will be able to open your gifts and cards on this day and be reminded that he is cherished.

Consider asking your Sunday School class or church to rally around and donate a gift to Joshua.  Consider doing a one day fundraiser to gather funds to buy Joshua a gift.  Consider asking 5 of your friends or co-workers to pitch in and purchase an item from Joshua's wish list.  (Or go to Amazon.com and search "wish lists" using this email address:  kpmomof7@yahoo.com.)

Joshua loves big kid Legos, and he can play with those in his bed.  He also has several movie choices on his wish list.  Many Legos are expensive (and Joshua's mom, Kate, is so humble and doesn't want to inconvenience anyone), but together, we can make Joshua's birthday party the best and most memorable party he'll ever have.

Wouldn't it be amazing for Joshua to receive every single item on his wish list for his party on August 6th?!?  Can you imagine the joy that would bring to this precious 5-year-old boy who is courageously living out his last days on earth?  Help us make that possible by praying, donating, and spreading the word.

And, in addition to the gift wish list, would you please send Joshua a birthday card?  It is the desire of Joshua's family to fill Joshua's walls with cards from all those who are praying for him, those who care about him, those who know Joshua is a gift worth celebrating.  Joshua's family would love to have these physical reminders (through greeting cards) of God's love and the support of His people plastered around Joshua's walls, and I can't help but think that each card sent will be a physical reminder of God's love, a hug from His hand that will remain a forever treasure to the Parker family, even after Joshua leaves earth to live forever with Jesus.  Please, please, please help bring joy to Joshua (and his family) by mailing a card to him at the following address:

Joshua Parker
2540 Lower River Rd
Grants Pass, OR 97526

After Joshua goes to live with Jesus, his family will be able to save the "Joshua's Joy" cards as a precious memory of all the people around the world who prayed for Joshua and celebrated his life with them on August 6, 2011.

Here are other ways to share Christ's love with the Parker family through messages of encouragement:
Click HERE for Joshua's CaringBridge page
Click HERE for a blog that's been set up to support the Parker family
Or email the Parker family at this email address:  kpmomof7@yahoo.com
Or send cards/notes of encouragement to:  The Parker Family, 2540 Lower River Rd., Grants Pass, OR 97526

Please spread the word (Facebook, blogs, etc.). 

Pray. 

Send a gift. 

Send a card.  

Help make Joshua's last party on earth be the very best party he's ever had!

In a Matter of Minutes...

Parker went from this...

To this...

After wearing braces on his teeth for almost two years, Parker is now free from having a mouth full of metal!  Woohoo!

And, in just a matter of minutes...

Shortly after 9AM on Monday, July 25, we went from being a family of 14 (including our Ukrainian host boys) to temporarily being a family of 10.

Our 4 "medium kids" are at an overnight kids' camp at our church.

They were SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!  After all, that's what "big kids" do, right?  What a privilege to attend an overnight camp...and one where they LOVE Jesus, even better!!!

The 4 mediums will be at camp Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  I thought the house would be really quiet without them, but Selah has found her very loud voice.  Squealing and screeching at the top of her lungs.  She discovered it in church Sunday. :-) 

Plus, we still have 7 other kiddos at home to fill our home with a joyful noise.  And they are doing that task well.

Children are a blessing; a reward from Him.  Grateful for all our treasures.  Thank you, Abba Father.

Balance

"Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity".  Job 31:6 KJV

There are so many things in life that we must balance:  our time, our schedules, our meals...really, every aspect of our lives requires a delicate balance.  Some things can become obsessions  and addictions when left unbalanced.  The only thing I ever want to have an addiction to is my Savior, Jesus Christ.

I always have so many swirling messages in my brain, but so little time to even open my laptop, much less record my myriad of thoughts.  Balance.

I wish I had more time, yet, really, I don't wish for that.  Having more time would mean my life wasn't filled to the brim with children, family, serving Him.  Balance.

I love having many little treasures to care for.  Balance.

I love having many chores due to the many treasures I care for.  Balance.

I love life in a large family.  Balance.

I love my Abba Father and wish I could spend every waking moment in His Word, in deep Bible study, in uninterrupted prayer.  Balance.

I wish I had time to record our daily memories, to share our lives with others, to share God's messages, to share many things my King of Kings is teaching me.  Balance.

I wish I could do more to keep Chrissie's legacy alive.  I don't want to forget anything about her.  I want to remember her laugh, her smile, the feel of her hugs, the pinch of her fingers digging into my neck as she squeezed me tightly.  I wish I had every minute of every second of her time with us recorded.  Balance.

Sometimes I wish for a TV show to come in and document our lives for us, and then I wouldn't have the stress of wanting/trying to record it all myself (I always fail).  Yet, I don't really want to have strangers with cameras following us around and recording every little thing.  Surely we'd all dwell on the things we shouldn't have said, the things we shouldn't have done, etc.  That's not the stuff I want to record. :-)  (And, just for the record, I really don't want a TV show.  We were asked to participate in a few reality TV shows/documentaries, but I've never felt it was what God wanted.  Seems way too stressful.)  Balance.

So, that leaves me back at square one.  Balancing life in a large family, yet trying to record it all, trying to remember the things He's teaching us along the way.  Trying to balance time with God, time with my hubby, time with the kids, time taking care of 1,001 daily duties.  And trying to just simply embrace that I will NEVER get even remotely close to conquering my ever-growing to-do list.  Balance.

I'd love to hear your suggestions of what helps you maintain balance in your life.  I want to please God.  I want to glorify Him.  I don't want to get tripped up in anything that causes me to be off balance.  Bossing my heart is helpful, reminding myself to let the Lord guide my steps instead of blazing my own trail.  Asking God to help me balance.

What works for you?  How do you maintain balance?

"A false balance is abomination to the Lord:  but a just weight is his delight."  Proverbs 11:1 KJV

Knowing

I can't imagine KNOWING that your child is dying and only has a few days left on this earth.  I truly cannot imagine.  With Chrissie, we believed God was going to heal her on this earth; therefore, we didn't have to prepare for her death on this earth.  The morning that Chrissie went to dance eternally with Jesus, none of us would have predicted.  We were not prepared.  We were shocked.

But, in many ways, I think that was easier for our family than if we had been told of her death ahead of time.  I don't know how we would have faced the days of preparation and planning for the death of our baby girl.

Right now, there's a fellow Reece's Rainbow who is having to prepare for the death of their 6-year-old son, Joshua.  Oh how my heart aches.  Typing brings me to tears.  Joshua is on hospice care now, and his earthly daddy so badly wants to be by his side as he lives out his last moments on this earth.  However, in order for Joshua's dad to be by his side, he must take a leave of absence from work.  And someone has to pay the bills.

That's where you come in, my beloved friends and blog readers.  Would you please click HERE to read about Joshua and his family, the Parkers?  Please pray for them.  Send them emails of encouragement.  Leave comments on their blog and CaringBridge page.  Surround them with the love of Christ, just as you did for our family when Chrissie went to dance eternally with Jesus.

And, if you're able, please consider donating to the Parker family so that Joshua's daddy will be able to stay by his side until the day Jesus ushers Joshua into heaven.

***I just found out that The Parker Family is actually someone I "know".  I don't know if you all remember, but there was a sweet young man named Adam who made two videos in memory of Chrissie shortly after she went to heaven.  Well, Adam is Joshua's big brother.  And I made a plea on our blog for y'all to donate to help The Parker Family bring their two girls home via Reece's Rainbow last year, too.  Here are the videos that Adam Parker made for our family, in memory of Chrissie:

Lake Day!

We feel very fortunate that God connected us with a wonderful man in our neck of the woods who has a HUGE heart for orphans.  Oh what a privilege it is to call Dr. Leininger, a huge advocate and supporter of  Haiti Children's Rescue Mission and Harvest International, our friend. 

Dr. Leininger opened his lake house to families in our area who have adopted children from Haiti Children's Rescue Mission.  We had a FABULOUS time.  Many thanks to Dr. Leininger for sharing his home and all of his fun lake toys with us!

Here's a video of the Wave Runner.  Vlad, Dima, and Ella fell off the tube quickly, but had a great time learning about fun on the lake!

Ella (and all of the kids) enjoyed the water trampoline!  Here's a video that shows what a water trampoline is! :-)

Mattie, Meribeth, Naomi and another friend from Haiti thoroughly enjoyed the Wave Runner.

What an amazing privilege for Vlad and Dima to experience such an awesome lake day!  They'd never seen such water toys!  After several hours of HARD water play, they took a break and played with rocks, a favorite pasttime of all boys from all nations!

Sweet Selah enjoying cuddles with Daddy.  She's now saying, "Dadda".  Daddy's finger is tightly wrapped in this little girl!

Sleepy Selah.

A picture of Vlad in paradise.

We had so much fun riding on the wave runner, jumping on the water trampoline, challenging kids at "king of the dock", playing in the sand, and fellowshipping with all of the other families who were able to attend.

Thank you, Dr. Leininger, for sharing your amazing lake home with us.  We are grateful!

Help!

Click HERE to read about a challenge to help rescue a forgotten treasure.  She is worth it.  Help spread the word.

Monday's Meditation: A Boss Your Heart Message

Thank you, Kirsten Walkup, for today's message:

July 18 Devo

by Kirsten Walkup

If you're married you probably wake up each day with your spouse, you both scramble to get breakfast, get ready for work, get the kids off to school, and get to the office on time where you spend the day in the company of your co-workers and then you come home at night to a family who needs your attention or you socialize with friends or you come to church and then at the end of the day you fall asleep in a heap so that you can repeat the process tomorrow.

That's the way our lives are, and it probably won't change until you're ready to retire — but in the midst of this frenzied lifestyle we can learn to make time alone, and to make the most of our time alone.

Victor Frankl, who spent years in a Nazi concentration camp, wrote about this in his book Man's Search for Meaning. He said that the enforced community life of this type of prison caused prisoners to crave solitude—the chance to be alone with one's thoughts and experience a few moments of privacy.

He worked in the camp hospital in cramped conditions, but behind it was a small tent between some trees that was used a shelter for each day's corpses. Frankl would slip in there when he could and sit for a moment looking out at the green flowering slopes and the distant blue hills of the Bavarian landscape. He said, "Only the steps of the passing guards could rouse me from my dreams." These moments of silence and solitude kept Frankl centered, and, in a very real way, kept him sane.

Even in your busy schedule, you can squeeze out moments of solitude here and there. Maybe you can get up a few minutes before everyone else. Or stay up a few minutes later than everyone else. Or maybe you have time alone on the way to and from work. Or maybe you can have lunch alone. Or maybe you can slip into an empty room in the evening when everyone else is watching TV. With some effort you can make time alone, but you also need to make the most of your time alone.

In Run Baby Run, Nicky Cruz tells about meeting his wife in Bible college. The rules were extremely strict and didn't allow for dating and didn't give the students very much free time. In order to be together, Nicky and his wife, who were at the beginning stage of their courtship, volunteered to be on the kitchen clean-up team. Every night they had a special date, standing side by side at the kitchen sink, up to their elbows in dirty dishwater. This is how they nurtured their budding romance.

Do you remember how it was in high school? The bell would ring and it was time to switch classes, the halls would be packed with students and your girlfriend or boyfriend would meet you at your locker so that you could walk her to her next class. Those two or three minutes meant everything, didn't they? It made Geometry bearable, didn't it?

That's the habit we need to get into with God, seizing those opportunities throughout the day when we can have five minutes here, fifteen minutes there, alone with Him. And just like we would try to make the most of that "date" between classes, we need to learn to make the most of our moments alone with God. We do that like David said— "I have stilled and quieted my soul." In Psalm 46 God says...

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Boss your heart this week to find time to get alone in the presence of God. You’ll be amazed at what even a few minutes communing with the Father can do!

J330

k

kirsten@kswalkup.com

Vlad learned to ride a bike last week!  (video below)


And so did Ella!  (video below)


Way to go kiddos!  We're so proud of you!

Ukrainian Host Party

Last weekend, we hosted a gathering for families in our area who are hosting Ukrainian orphans through Charis ministries this summer.  We swam, ate loads of pizza (thank you Brewster's!), rode horses, and broke a pinata (so the Ukrainians could experience a Texas tradition!).  It was reported that a good time was had by all.

I apologize for the poor photo quality.  Between my iPhone and the photographer (me), it's a wonder any of my photos turn out! 

Not everyone is pictured in this photo, but it's a good sampling of the Ukrainian kiddos at the party.

Kiefer lininig up to take a swing at the boot pinata.

Everyone attacked once the pinata burst and candy flew everywhere!

The kids loved riding horses.  Matt ran alongside kids who rode Chrissie's pony, Navidad, so that they could bounce while Navidad trotted.  Dima LOVED this, and I captured it on video.  Such fun!

Guitars and Tutus

Our "big kids" are gone to youth camp this week. :-(  Sawyer, Mattie, Meribeth, Parker and Naomi are all at camp, which means Mom and Dad are on our own with the "little ones":  Vlad, Asher, Dima, Ella, Kiefer, and Selah.  We're having loads of fun, even though it's lots of hard work, juggling of schedules, and not many extra helping hands. 

Vlad is a HUGE helper.  He learned to drive the 4-wheeler by himself, and he's a very responsible and mature driver.  He is aware of his surroundings, aware of where all of the kids and animals are, he travels at safe speeds, and he even thinks of others when he's driving.  (He has stopped twice to open and close our main gate for me without even being asked or told to do so.)  Melt my heart! :-)

We've been so impressed with both Vlad and Dima.  It's hard to imagine they've only been here for 2 weeks.  Vlad is speaking SO MUCH English!!!!!!  Both boys are swimming independently, and Vlad acts as if he's lived here his entire life.  He's helpful with chores, he works hard and diligently, he's responsible and mature, and he's confident.  Dima allows Vlad to speak for him, but Dima is coming along and getting more comfortable with each passing day.  Hosting these two boys has been such a joy.  I just don't know how we'ere going to send them back without our hearts shattering.  They MUST return to Ukraine on August 4th, no matter what.  :-(

My friend Lisa brought over a trunk of dress-up clothes for Ella, but the boys got into it just as much as Ella did!  Here are some fun photos of our crazy little ones!

And I'll leave you with some video footage of Kiefer rockin' out in his dress-up costume!

Fun Times

Guess where we went yesterday?

Seaworld San Antonio!

Oh what fun we had, especially for two boys from Ukraine who have never even heard of such a place, much less experienced it.  They LOVED the park.  The water park and roller coasters/rides were their favorite.  They didn't care very much about the shows.  Not even the Shamu show, but they sure did love all of the FUN that Seaworld has to offer! 

Kiefer ate a frozen confection that ended up more ON his belly than IN his belly!

OK, I have to explain this photo (and the ones to come).  Our guys didn't wear shirts to the park.  We were planning to do the water park mainly, so they put on their swim trunks before we left the house, and not one of our boys put on a shirt.  We had so much to pack and gather in order to get out of the house with 14 people (my friend and her foster son came along with us), that I decided we didn't need to bring shirts for the boys.  After all, they'd just be taking them off anyway, and then I'd have to keep up with 6 shirts. 

Well, after everyone got water logged at the water park, we decided to go ride some roller coasters.  What we didn't know is that Seaworld requires all passengers to wear shirts!  Oh no!  I almost went and wasted money bought Seaworld shirts for the boys so that they could ride, but my friend Nicole had a better idea!  She had 2 shirts for her one-year-old foster son, so Sawyer and Asher wore those.  Isn't that HILARIOUS?!?!  Because they are boys, they totally didn't care about how the shirts looked, they just wanted to ride the roller coasters!

Vlad had a choice between my turquoise and pink floral/paisley swimsuit cover-up or Nicole's t-shirt.  He chose the t-shirt.  I think they ROCK this look, don't you?!?  Hilarious!

Dima wore my t-shirt and Kiefer wore my cover-up.  (Kiefer got cut out of this iPhone pic because I was trying to assure him that Grover wasn't going to attack him from behind, even though he looks like a crazy stalker on stage!)  Oh well.

Selah LOVED sitting in the shallow water and splashing in the fountains.  She's such a sweet girl and so easy-going.  Until someone takes her toy away.  That's the only time her temper flares. :-)  I was so blessed by her sweet spirit and joyful attitude the entire day.  Such a miracle baby.  Thank you, Jesus!

Selah LOVES my iPhone, after all, that's the place where she watches Baby Einstein!  She was trying to grab my phone as I was trying to capture her adorable face.  9-month-old baby determination!

Sawyer is such a trooper.  He has fun with all kids (all ages) in all situations.  Here he is making the best of Elmo's Bay of Play.

Vlad and Dima seriously had a blast.  They're such fun boys.  It's going to be so hard to send them back to their orphanage on August 4th.

I think these boys look like bio brothers.  Can you tell me which one isn't biologically related to the others?!?

We stayed until closing and ended with the Shamu Rocks night show.  Kiefer (who ended up wearing the toddler t-shirt that Sawyer was rocking earlier in the day as his ticket to ride the rides) fell asleep in Parker's lap, and Selah ended up asleep in Mattie's lap.  The entire crew slept on the van ride home (except Selah). 

Fun times. 

Fun times.

Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

We've been having a blast with Vlad and Dima, two orphan boys from Ukraine, who are here for the summer on an orphan hosting trip with Charis adoption ministries.  Last week I didn't have a single second of time to get on the computer and update our blog, mainly because Mattie (our 13yo daughter) was away from the house volunteering at a camp. 

Since the Ukrainian boys were new to our home and family, we had a lot of teaching and training to work on last week (still do).  Now that Mattie is back and we have our full team working together in this tapestry, I hope to update with pictures and videos this week.  I just love how God weaves such a beautifully intricate tapestry before our very eyes, yet when one string is yanked, pulled, tugged, or completely missing, the tapestry so quickly begins to unravel!!!  Praise God for choosing to interweave many capable, selfless, joyfully serving hands into this this tapestry He's creating in our home.  I truly couldn't do it without the help of each family member.

I've truly been amazed by how much we're enjoying having Vlad and Dima with us this summer.  I just LOVE seeing these two brothers working and playing together.  Oh what a tremendous blessing these boys are to my heart.  Seriously.  We've never adopted older boys internationally, nor have we ever adopted boy siblings, so seeing the sweet relationship of these two brothers is a constant source of laughter and joy.  I've always enjoyed boys.  A lot of people aren't fond of wild and crazy, but I get such a kick out of the frogs and snails and puppy dog tails side of boys.

Dima, Vlad, and Kiefer sitting outside the kitchen window lovin' on the dogs.

Vlad holding a frog that he caught.  He LOVES to catch frogs, although this picture doesn't capture his excitement, but it does capture those big beautiful brown eyes that speak volumes to my heart.  I have a picture of our bio son, Parker, when he was about 4 years old, holding a frog in his hand that looks so similar to this photo.  I need to locate it to show you!

See what I mean by frogs and snails and puppy dog tails, these are the things little boys are made of?!?  (I don't have a photo of a snail, but Dima brought one to me the other day!)  There are some things that are just universal with boys, no matter what country or upbringing.  Things like making fart sounds by sticking one's hand in his armpit and thrashing the other arm up and down like a chicken trying to fly.  Things like making spit balls in the bathroom when one is supposed to be brushing his teeth.  Things like leaning to the side while sitting and letting out a sound that sounds like a farm animal, then cracking up so hard that one falls out of his chair.  Things like jumping in the mud puddle instead of walking around it.  Things like trying to kill a red wasp with your hand, just because it's a challenge, then when one gets stung, there's no tears involved, just a nice battle wound to proudly display to everyone.  Things like cutting the stinger off a scorpion, then picking it up to scare Mom.  Things like chasing your sisters with insects just because they'll run and squeal. 

Oh, and I mustn't forget:  Things like tying your brother's "car" to the back of your "Gator" and hauling him around until he crashes and falls over.  Yep, those are the things that get me giggling so hard that I nearly pee in my pants!

This video totally cracks me up.  Reminds me of when I was a kid, and I hitched my little brother's riding toy up to the back of my mini-bike/motorcyle and hauled him around, until one day, he crashed and that was the end of that adventure. 
(Remember that if you're viewing this in a reader or via email, you'll have to visit the blog to view the video.)

Yes, oh yes, the adventures of boys are truly a joy for me.  Did you know that boys are less preferred when it comes to adoption?  Yep, it's true.  The statistics are always changing, but for many years, it's always turned out that boys are less likely to be chosen for adoption.  I'm so very grateful God chose to place these two precious brothers in our home this summer.  I pray they'll soon have the label "CHOSEN" written on their hearts, and the statistics will have less orphan boys in the count.

Slip-n-Slide fun!  Ella gets right in the mix with her wild and crazy brothers!

Brothers through and through.