Can you believe people asked why she didn't abort him...

...just because he *looked* different?? Wow. You're a beautiful boy!  And your family is too.  Most people know what true beauty is.  Someday, the rest of them will learn.  x o x o.

37

Happy Birthday.

"Angels Do Exist."

It's April.  April is always a difficult month for me.  But I've been here all year.  Quiet.  Not sure what to write or say. I've got blog entries back piled as Drafts that I've tried to work on.  But they are still blank.

Then 1/3 of the year is gone.

I see old men or women in walkers, trying to get off the curb of the sidewalk to get down to the parking lot to get into their car.  They can't do it alone.  No one stops.  I've seen a kid with calipers on both arms stuck on the wrong side of a bathroom door struggling to open it because no one would help her.  I've seen a woman in a motorized scooter drive up to a restaurant door and struggle to try and reach it over the steering controls because no one would stop to open it for her.

They all seemed grateful when I helped them, but stunned and surprised at the same time, as though they are just used to people passing them by to go on with their own lives.

I won't forget the time my van was broken down in a hospital parkinglot.  I had to push it while my sister tried to steer it into a parking space.  We're talking about an older Chevy Astrovan here.  As hard as I tried -- I just could not push it alone.

An elderly woman saw me as she was driving past in her car.  She kept going.  But she told me she couldn't stop thinking about seeeing us there struggling with that van like that.  She told me she thought - what if those were my girls? Then she told me she realised - they *are* someone's girls.

So she told me she came back.

I was touched.  I was speechless.  And even though I didn't say it I was doubtful that she (I say this with utmost respect) a frail old woman, could really help.

She did.  She got up behind the van with me and between the two of us we pushed it easily into a parking space.  I was stunned.  I learned more than one lesson that day.  I thanked her.  She went on her way.  I will never see her again.  But I will never forget that either.  I've blogged about this incident before here and I probably will again.

I want you to know right now as I post this --- I am absolutely not perfect.  I am guilty of passing people by. Sometimes on purpose.  Sometimes without thinking.  But I am trying to do better about seeing them and helping.  My grandmother died this past winter.

Like the old woman and the van when she realised we were 'someone's girls'.  These people who just need you to open a door for them are someone's grandma, they are someone's daughter.  These people are people too.

So I've been gone for 4 months.  Trying to find a way to start blogging here again.  Wondering if this blog was past it's time and it didn't make much of an impact in the grand scheme of things anyway.  No one reads here so why do I keep it up?

Then, this is what I found.  Please watch it.  Please understand why this blog is still here.  This isn't about me.  Its not about readers or getting comments.  It's not just about the kids and people overseas.  It's about people here too.  Its about people everywhere.  Watch to the end for the title of this post.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Christmas, New Years, and 2013.

Hi everyone..

I missed the Christmas Post this year.  But I found this.  Even if a week late I think its perfect:

There was another little video that I manged to catch last year that goes with the first:

Very cute.  And beautiful.  I hope you all had a very good Christmas.


I might also miss my yearly New Years Eve post, I don't know yet.  But I will try.  If I do?  Have a Good New Year all year!  :) 

So ...2013?

This has been a quieter year for blogging for me.  But even though Looking at the big picture, I didn't really get alot done this year.  But looking back at all of it bit by bit -- its been a busy year.  I did more with it than I can see all at once.  I learned more about myself in this past year than I have in the 16 years leading up to this.  And it wasn't a big lesson either.  Just something I wasn't expecting that came as a surprise and helped me realise a few things.  This year was a year of changes. And it seems that no matter how old you get there is always hope and there is always always room to learn and there is always surpise.

Also this past year  I have managed to start and get 3/4ths the way through book I am writing and it seems I even might actually finish it this time.  Even if the new story isn't published by my birthday this coming April, I suspect a rough draft will at least be written and I will be working through revisions. So, its been a good year.  I hope you all had a good year too.  Happy New Year Everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving...

..to everyone.  I missed posting this on thanksgiving day by about 49 minutes.  ^_^ But hope that you had a good one anyway.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday

Number 15.

Hope you had a good one.  Love, us.

Unborn Baby Girl with HLHS

Just this evening we got an e-mail from an adoption agency about a baby girl, still in the womb, who has a serious heart condition and who desperately needs our help. She is due to be born in February, and she has been diagnosed with HLHS. Her situation is critical right now, as she will likely be aborted in a matter of days if there the hope of finding an adoptive family doesn't materialize. I don't say this to pressure anyone to step forward as a potential adoptive family. The simple truth is that this is what this little girl is facing, and we do not want to see her suffer death at the hands of another because of her special need. Here is an excerpt of the e-mail that came to us tonight:

[The agency] has been contacted by a Caucasian married couple who is pregnant and carrying a female baby with HLHS due in February.
 

They have only a few days left to decide on an abortion. They feel if we can show them we have a good number of prospective adoptive families to choose from, they would make an adoption plan.

 

If you are interested in adopting this little girl, please write to hlhs_girl@theshepherdscrook.org. Again, please feel free to share this post with others and join us in praying for this precious little girl.

 

-Reposted from myreallifebyyvonne.blogspot.com

Brenton, and now NOAH..

Okay guys.. you all saw it.. the miracle that happened with Brenton in the post below.  He had untill the 7'th of October to have a family commit to him; and one did.  :)  Amazing, right?

 Want to see it happen again for a boy called Noah?  He wrote a letter talking about how he wants a family.  Click here to read it and to learn about him?  Lets get Noah a family!  Pass this on?  Shout about him.  Let people know he's out there.  Thanks everyone.

He Has A Family!

Yes!  He does!

The boy in the post below this one!  I saw Brenton Has a Family HERE just now!  You will have to scroll dowm a little but he is there.

Also a shout out to Julia Nalle who is a big advocate for him and special needs orphans. 

Miracles do happen.  Gotta believe first to see.  Thank you God.

Is This Your Son?

 http://reecesrainbow.org/64325/brenton

 He is about to turn 16.  Yes, the boy in the picture above.  The picture may be older.  There are others too where he looks pretty much the same.  But he's just a little boy.  He lives in an orphanage over-seas.  If he doesn't get a family by his 16 birthday -- he never will.  He will become unavailible for adoption and be sent to an institution.  Likely, he will stay the rest of his life tied to a wheelchair.  Did you read that -- the rest of his life.  He will likely have two diapers a day and be fed a runny broth three times a day if he is lucky.

Look up eastern european mental isntitute on youtube.... see where he will go and how he will live.  Yes, some of them are better than others. Not all are horrible. And even at the ones where things are tough more often than not, the staff does care.  But there just isn't enough to go around.  I am not trying to make people feel guilty, this is just what happens to most orphans over there.  I know everyone cant adopt. I can't. But maybe someone out there can get him or knows someone who can?  So I will keep asking --- Is he your son?  Is there a place at your table for him?  Can you pass word on?

He has only until the 7'th of October, 2013.  Then, he can't be adopted.

I've asked on here several times.   But I've been a rather quiet blogger this year and I don't believe I've posted a single orphan, which is the purpose of this blog.  So, today, I am shouting for Brenton.  Click the link under his picture for more info.

Thank you.

In the Name of Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByuyP1PNqKQ

Faith...

This Year I...

God Loves a Cheerful Giver - Part 4

"Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."

- Deuteronomy 15:10