Camille...

...reminds me very much of Diana. She wants someone to love her too. Will someone please see past the pic of her wearing a boys pajama top and ..whatever those are for pants? Could she be your little girl? Please click here for more info about Camille. You may have to scroll down the page a bit to find her.

Happy 10'th Birthday Mara!

Here is wishing you a very happy year. Who knows what it may bring -- maybe home? 10 years today, happy birthday sweetheart.

My Brother's Wedding...

...was on the 12'th! Congratulations to my brother Michael and sister in law Rhi, and to my little nephew, Mikey the III. Happy ever after, you guys! From me.

Mindy's Family...

...I mentioned in the post below that little miss Mindy has a family! For those of you whom would like to meet them you can meet them here. :)

Happy March!

...well, here it is, month 3 of 2010! Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday I was writing this entry. Time does fly, doesn't it? I meant to tie up February with this post but didn't get to it in time.

But guess what, February was a good month. I am a writer and my first book was released, which is good because I need to bring a particular income bracket up in order to move forward with my something crazy, that I posted about in this entry. Also guess what! MINDY had a family commit to her! Yay! What a sweet little girl. Thank you... thank you God.

Take care everyone. See you around. Happy March.

Marching Around Jericho...

Hey you all, remember these guys - Hope and Chance? Currently, they are in their fourth home of their trip and have seen so many people along the way. One of the common themes that seem to come up is how once they are in your hands the outpouring of love and prayers gone before over them are actually felt. It is amazing, I know, because I have had and held them.

What I am about to say might be taken the wrong way by some, but that is not my intention, sometimes I don't word things the best way. But another thing that surfaces when these dolls are in your care and it is your turn to share their purpose and story you suddenly may become nervous about it, you feel may like changing your mind and you think that maybe people will think you are silly for wanting to share dolls with a message to them. Personally, when they were in my care, I argued with myself almost an entire night about if I should hide them in the back instead of having them out front at the desk with me at work. In the end, I knew, that hiding them was not the intention these dolls were created for and this was something God wanted ...how could I hide something God wanted? Others, since Hope and Chance were with me, have related it to feeling silly and have reasoned it out as well by using the 'March Around Jericho' approach. Sure, it probably looked silly to march around Jericho for six or seven days -- but they did it, and look at the result.

That said, I am not saying this is up there with that particular march. At the same time I am not degrading its worth and value and saying it is not. What I am saying is that simply in the same vein - this is God's work --

[and just now I almost took that out and had to stop myself from doing so, because that also would be hiding it just as putting the dolls away would have, as I know there are some that do not believe in God that come here, people whom I consider friends, we have always stayed respectful to each others beliefs, thank you so much and I love you too!]

-- and I am blessed to be a part of it. Please pray for the Orphan Dolls in your prayers, that their mission to teach people that we are called to help orphans -and widows, lets not forget the beautiful widows[ers], everywhere. Ask yourself what you can do to help and visit their website and share their story today.

Hugs all, and take care.

Oh yes! Still working for little Mara and Freddie! See ya later and take care.

Also among those called "No Truer Words"...

"Every now and then we hold in our hands the power to change someone's life. Never in our own strength, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit. There are occasions when we have the opportunity to make a profound difference in the life of another human being--whether it be a child, an elderly person or anyone else. God just gives us those incredible opportunities to be His hands and feet on this earth."

--http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2010/01/our-big-news.html

Yeah! Another quote of 'no truer words', this one goes with the post about Mindy below. Someone please go and save Mindy...

Mindy...

Tomorrow, January 30, is sweet little Mindy's fourth birthday. For a baby like her to turn four in an orphanage is not a good thing, while most four year olds are getting cake and presents and learning about what a birthday is Mindy, for Mindy's fourth birthday she will be getting an immediate transfer to a mental institution quite possibly like this one, where she can never be adopted from, there to stay for what will most probably will be a very short life.

Like with Martin, there is no way to make this post happy. The only way possible is for someone to step forward right now to commit to adopting Mindy, not tomorrow, not next week, not next month - right now. This minute. Because tomorrow, the 30'th of January...

...is Mindy's 4'th birthday.

And please, this isn't a guilt trip, I can't go save her either, this is just a plea, a shout out, a last chance? Maybe you are that someone who can go and save her? If you are here you are most probably thinking about adoption in some way or shape or form, why just read? Why not throw it all out on the line? Please go to Reece's Rainbow and ask the lady in charge there about Mindy. If you tell her this is Mindy's birthday she will know exactly who she is. Look at this picture. You really can save her life.

Please Grab This Button!
URGENT PLEA!

Among those called "No Truer Words"...

"...our purpose on this earth is not to see what we can get out of it, but to see how much we can give."

--Thought for the Day; http://the30dayjourneyforhope.blogspot.com/

Haitian Orphans...

Hey everyone here is a link to a video I found, 2 women caring for a group of kids and insist that they all go, even the ones without matched families, or they all stay. And guess what... they all went. Way, way cool.

I Am Thinking Something Crazy...

...something very unrealistic -- even for me. Its a lingering thought I can't seem to put aside especially with something I've found out recently. Oh my... oh... my...

Martin:

Please Grab This Button!
URGENT PLEA!
They call him an 'Older Child' -- this tiny little blond haired boy.

This little boy's 4'th birthday is tomorrow - on the 20'th of January he will be turning 4 - where he is at, its already the afternoon of the 19'th. For a baby like him to turn 4 in an orphanage is not a good thing, he will then be sent to an institution like the ones I have linked to in posts below and elsewhere on this blog, that he cannot be adopted out of -- there to stay for the rest of his life. I have tried to think of ways to make this post happy and positive but I cannot find one -- there is nothing happy and positive about this. This is a last chance plea for little Martin - he needs someone not tomorrow, not next week, not next month or next year. He needs someone right now, this hour ...this minute.

No, please, don't take this as a guilt trip, I cannot go to save him either. But I can post another shout out for him - won't you do the same? Or maybe, just maybe, are you the someone out there that can go save him? Please go to Reece's Rainbow and ask the lady in charge there about Martin. If you tell her his birthday she will know exactly who he is.

PS: Little Mindy's Birthday is coming up on the 30'th of this month too -- she will be four and in the exact same situation. Her information is posted below as well.

God, bless and protect these little angels, whatever happens to them. Always.

The Blind Side - Official True Story Featurette

I found this by accident and just thought I'd do a follow up to this post, like this follow up featurette - its still amazing, its still 'wow'. Thanks again Warner Brothers and good luck Michael.

Blogging for Mara...

You all know for a while now I've been looking for a family for Mara? Well, I made her a blog just for that purpose -- so here goes:

http://littlemissmara.blogspot.com/

Chinese Adoption, Older Child...

[Please note this is an older post.  The child it was started with may have been adopted, which I hope, or may no longer be available.  However -- This Entry Frequently gets hits from search engines and is updated sometimes with other kids.  Some of those children too, may also have been adopted, which I also hope, and/or are no longer available.  Please read/scroll to the end for updates. Thank you.]

There is a 13 year old Chinese girl whom is still living in China who needs to be adopted quickly, her parents have died and she is now living in an orphanage. Look at this through her eyes for a moment - to loose the people you love, and the place you love to be put into a strange place and scenario and lifestyle you do not know? - Yes, this will be the same by getting adopted, new place and a lifestyle she wont know, but there will be one big beautiful difference -- and that is the love of a family.

The reason she needs to be adopted quickly is because the Chinese government does not allow children over the ages of 14 to be adopted. Her time is really running out. I got this information from another blog and wanted to pass it on to you guys who read here, maybe you can pass it on to people you know. From that other blog:

"...she is very bright, has no health issues, and is dealing with the loss of her parents in a "normal" way. In addition, her parents truly loved her; she was well cared for. If you know anyone who might have an interest."

Please pass this along. Thank you.

------------------------

There is a 13 year old girl in china desperately needing a family. She turns 14 next month and after that will never be adopted. Please help in anyway you can! [Posted January 16, 2011]

-----------------------

This older boy in China is 13 and has only 20 days left to find his family before he can never be adopted, ever. PLEASE CONSIDER HIM [posted Dec 21, 2010] This boy now has a forever family! Thank you everyone.

-----------------------

[Entry Edited 06.04.10, Link Checked 05.20.2012] [Link Checked 09.1012, page no longer exists]: I get a lot of hits from searches for 'China Adoption, Older Child' and they usually lead to this blog entry. Click here for few more older kids in China needing forever homes.

*EDITED OCT 7, 2010: **EDITED SEPT 10, 2012
The following link seems to be outdated.  Most of the content removed.  Link remains in case of updates.
link

 *EDITED 9.10.2012, **EDITED 9.15.2012: 
 Dawn has a family now too!  

From her Reece's Rainbow Profile:

Girl, born Feb 1999

SN: paralysis of bilateral lower limbs
 
She has spina bifida and is in a wheelchair, but she is able to get into and out of the chair on her own and can get up stairs on her own. She does her own self-care independently.

Someone who knows her personally wrote:
Dawn is 12 and a half, and will age out of the program in 18 months, she is aware of this. She is studying grade 4 in local school – and doing well. She is confident, articulate and happy.
Dawn already has a degree of understanding that adoption to another culture and language would be difficult (she is used to playing and being around non-speaking foreign people that come to the centre on short term teams), however, she has stated that she would like to have a family, and that she would like to go abroad. She is willing to work to overcome language difficulties for that. She is also aware that education, future jobs and life in a place like the USA would be easier for her than in China where wheelchair uses are still not supported well.

 For more information contact Reece's Rainbow by clicking here.

Sing...

"...Sing a Song, sing it loud, sing it strong. Sing of good things, not bad. Sing of Happy, not sad. Don't worry that its not good enough for anyone else to hear...."

I forgot this song, until I was looking over the internet for inspirational songs for a video I am making for another website. Then I found this and instantly remembered it. Since its been well over twenty years since I heard it, and apparently there have been many versions since, it took a while to find the version who's melody and child-like voices had embedded into my memory that had come to the surface, a memory long forgotten but so easy to grasp. Then I found it, and here it is.

Oh, if we could only live with such child-like simplicity and faith. I put this song in my sidebar as well as in this post, for the little kids everywhere that need a family to sing to them.

Sesame Street - Sing Found at abmp3 search engine

PS: The song doesn't seem to be working here in this post when I try to get it to play, but it does work in the sidebar, if you wish to play it. After all -- we all should indulge the child inside sometimes. Take care.