Ability

As a way to continue raising the necessary funds to bring Lucia Grace home I have had T-shirts (and a few other accessories such as totes, baby bibs, and baby hats) designed to sell.  My idea was to offer positive designs celebrating the abilities of those who normally are only seen in the light of what they may not be able to do.

 

The Ability logo design is a great way to advocate for those who are differently-abled by encouraging others to focus on ability rather than disability.


To celebrate the extra-special blessings that children gifted with an extra chromosome bring their families there is the "eXtra-" design line.

 Currently I have "eXtra-adorable" for girls and "eXtra-tough" for boys. The "X" in the design is a chromosome.

 There are a variety of shirts and products available in each design!  You can visit my shop, Ability Apparel & Gifts, here.  All proceeds go toward adoption expenses to bring Lucia home.  Would you please consider making a purchase from my shop and / or sharing this with your friends and social networks?  I need to sell approximately 5,000 items from the shop for my adoption to be fully funded.  Each purchase makes a difference in bringing my daughter home!!  I appreciate each and every person who is willing to come alongside me by making a purchase or spreading the word.  Thank you! 

**All my designs were done by Wendy Van Ryn of Adopted by Design. Thank you so much Wendy!**

Where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, I am there

I L.O.V.E. meeting like minded people! 

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity is one of those people.  Someone whose heart seems to beat in tune with my own.  Someone who seems to get it, and not just get it in word, but in deed.  When I read about her family I think ~ "that is who I want to be like when I grow up." 

When I read statements like:

"He has blessed us so that we would bless others.  Our wealth is not to hoard - not a chance!!  It's to give away."


and

 "We are to live to please Him by taking care of orphans, caring for the widows, serving the poor, giving our things away, living to meet the needs of others not our own personal wants."

and

"Friends, God did not put us on this earth to indulge ourselves.  He put us here to love Him first and serve others. Period. To care for the orphan and widow. To minister to the poor. To live selflessly."

I get SO excited!  So excited that someone else has verbalized the truths that God has been speaking to my heart over the last three years.  Today Linny has asked those in the process of adopting to share their prayer needs as well as their fundraisers so that we can support one another.  I am so honored to hook into the power of unity that she is rallying by employing the Matthew 18: 19-20 principle!! 

This is my precious baby girl ~ Lucia Grace.  I am adopting from Mexico as a single mom.  Currently I am finishing up my dossier, and getting ready to send off my I-800A to USCIS.  I still need approximately $15,000 to complete my adoption and bring my sweet girl home.  I would appreciate your prayers for my paperwork to continue to go smoothly.  Please also pray for Lucia's health as she has been prone to upper respiratory infections and ear infections. 

I have 2 current fundraisers going on right now:


Thirty-One Gifts Fundraiser:  You can shop my on-line party anytime between now and Thursday, March the 24th!  My generous friend Jacqui is donating her commission so 20% of all sales will go toward Lucia's adoption!  Also, the March special is one of the company's best EVER ~ spend $31 in merchandise and get ANY purse 1/2 off!!

Sarah's Treasure Box Fundraiser:  My fundraiser runs from Thursday, March the 17th through Saturday, March the 19th.  I will earn $5 for each pendant purchase through Sarah's Etsy shop during this time.  (Gift card purchases and custom orders do NOT count toward my fundraiser)  When you place your order you MUST put in the notes it is for Lucy for the Morgan family.  If you forget you can message Sarah to let her know.  Sarah's pendants are SUPER affordable ($7.99 - $14) and SUPER cute!

Tax deductible donations can be made anytime through my Reece's Rainbow Family Grant Sponsorship page here.

I am so grateful to each person that has come alongside me in this adoption journey and given so generously of their time, their prayer covering, their encouragement, their monetary donations, and their love!  My prayer for you is that "...it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6:38)

Consider the Lilies

'“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  ~ Matthew 6: 25 - 34

I have always liked this passage in Matthew.  Over the last five months, I have used this passage as a compass as I navigate the waters of international adoption.  I determined in the beginning that I would NOT worry about distant tomorrows, but instead focus on accomplishing the tasks that I have to do each day.  It is a daily focusing and re-focusing, but it has helped me to keep my eyes on God instead of sinking in the overwhelming amounts of paperwork and money that are needed to finish this journey and bring my baby girl home. 

And oh, how faithful God has been!  As each deadline comes and paperwork and money are due, He has supplied!!  He has shown Himself faithful through the generosity of friends and strangers.  I have had friends donate large sums and friends that have handed me $20 bills.  I know that God has ordained each $ that is needed to complete Lucia's adoption.  I may not know where it is all coming from, but He does.

I currently have two fundraisers running that I wanted to share with you.  Both fundraisers came about because of generous women who are willing to donate proceeds from their own businesses to Lucia's adoption.  Would you please consider making a purchase to help bring Lucia home?  Would you please share these fundraisers with your friends and family?  Each purchase makes a difference.  Thank you!!




Thirty-One Gifts Fundraiser:  You can shop my on-line party anytime between now and Thursday, March the 24th!  My generous friend Jacqui is donating her commission so 20% of all sales will go toward Lucia's adoption!  Also, the March special is one of the company's best EVER ~ spend $31 in merchandise and get ANY purse 1/2 off!!   Here are a few Thirty-One items that I really like.........

Sarah's Treasure Box Fundraiser:  My fundraiser runs from midnight tonight through Saturday, March the 19th.  I will earn $5 for each pendant purchase through Sarah's Etsy shop during this time.  (Gift card purchases and custom orders do NOT count toward my fundraiser)  When you place your order you MUST put in the notes it is for Lucy for the Morgan family.  If you forget you can message Sarah to let her know.  Sarah's pendants are SUPER affordable ($7.99 - $14) and SUPER cute!  Here are a few of my favorites.....

My word for 2011: Growth

I have always went over the top with New Year's resolutions.  I have approached them like some sort of do-it-yourself extreme personal makeover.  At the start of each new year I would think to myself:  I am going to eat healthier, exercise more, read my Bible everyday, be a more patient mother, and the list would go on and on.  And for a while I would, and then like most good intentions my resolutions would fizzle out and I would go back to my status quo.

So this year I have decided to do something different.  This year I have decided to pick a word to define my 2011.  The lens so to speak through which to view the next 365 days and all that they bring.  After some thought the natural choice for me was growth.  2011 was already going to be a year of growth for me because Lucia will be coming home this year, and my family will be growing.  And as I looked at other aspects of my life I realized that there were some other ways in which I am hoping to grow in 2011:


Financial Growth : My mobile home will be paid in full - no more monthly mortgage payment!!  (Yup, I am the queen of my single wide trailer -- I will be posting on that soon, and all that God has been working on in my heart through my anti-American dream home. ;)

Physical Growth: Well, in my case physical reduction. ;)  I am half way to my goal of losing 60 lbs.  So this year I want to keep going and reach my goal!

These are just some of the ways that I can see myself growing this year.  But the difference is this year even if some of these goals fall by the wayside, I can stay on track by simply looking for the opportunities I am presented for personal growth in 2011.  I am going to be on the lookout for ways to grow--in  my relationships, in my integrity, in my loving, in my giving, in my emotional well being.  Through the good, bad, mundane, surprising, and the ordinary I am going to focus on growth.

So, how about you?  What is your word for 2011?

It's A Girl!!

Those of you who know me well already know that for the past two years I have been on an adoption journey.  My journey has been a scenic route that has not followed a path that I had mapped out but rather turned into uncharted territory.  Two years is a long time to be pregnant (having one home grown child I can attest that being paper pregnant has more similarities to physical pregnancy than differences).  And yet, I firmly believe that nothing catches my Savior by surprise.  Before I took the first step He knew the winding road that I would travel, and I trust Him.  Two years ago when I started out on this journey I wrote this in my prayer journal....

"I can feel the void, the space in our family for more children.  And yet I want to do this in Your timing….  I put my hand in Yours…  I put my hope in You.  Lead me in the way that You would have me to go.  Direct my paths.  Inspire my heart.  Help me to not miss Your still small voice."

And over the days, months, and now years this is what I have tried to do--follow Him.  Along the way He has molded me and shaped me more into His likeness--breaking my heart for the orphan and the fatherless; and revealing buried, hidden parts of my heart that I have needed to bring to Him for healing.  I have grown so much during this time of expectancy, but, I am digressing....  This post is not about me or my adoption journey (although I may share more about it in the future).  It is about her.  My daughter.  I have a daughter!  Lucia Grace.  And I am so excited to tell you all about her!  She was born in Mexico.  She just had a birthday, and is now six years old.  She has dark, straight hair.  She has dark brown, almond-shaped eyes.  She has an amazing smile that reaches all the way to her eyes and will melt your heart.  And she has an extra chromosome.  Yes, my sweet baby girl has Down Syndrome.  But, don't get hung up on labels--Down Syndrome is just one part of who my girlie is.  

I can not wait to have Lucia home in my arms forever!  Right now I am raising the rest of the funds necessary to complete her adoption.  I will continue to chronicle our adoption progress here on my blog.  For those of you who would like a peek at a picture of my baby girl you can check out our family sponsorship page here.  The picture is an older one (I will share more pictures as I am allowed).  Also, anyone who may feel led to donate to our adoption journey to bring Lucia home can do so through our Reece's Rainbow family grant page.  Any donations given through Reece's Rainbow are tax deductible!  

Please keep us in your prayers, and thank you so much for sharing in our joy as our family grows! 

163 Million Too Many

"External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world."  James 1: 27 (Amplified Bible)

It is ALWAYS the right thing to do--

to visit

to help

to care

for orphans and widows in their affliction and need.

It is ALWAYS the right thing!  You don't have to question or wonder or doubt or hesitate.  It is NEVER the wrong thing to do to reach out to the orphans and widows in this world!  It is NEVER a waste of your time.  It is NEVER a waste of your resources.  God will NEVER wish you were doing something else. 

Today is Orphan Sunday.  There are an estimated 163 million orphans in the world today!  Such a mind boggling number!  But, there are approximately 2.2 BILLION Christians in the world today.  I firmly believe that we are the answer to the crisis.  I believe that if you have a personal relationship with God that your question should be "How do you want me to help orphans and widows?" not "Do you want me to help orphans and widows?"  Because you can be assured that He wants you to help.  The only real question is how.  Here are 10 ways that you can reach out :

Pray for them

Speak up / Advocate for them

 

Provide for their needs

Support those who support them

Protect them from harm

 Visit them where they are

Give sacrificially to them

Encourage them to press on (Mentor, Tutor)

Adopt them into your family

Mobilize your church for them

Pick one.  Any one.  Or 2, or 3, or all 10.  I double dog dare you to try all 10!  Your life will never be the same! 

"He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."  Matthew 10:39

Goers and Senders -- We Need Each Other

So, as Christians I believe that we all have a job to do.  I do not believe that God saved your soul just for you to be a bench warmer.  I believe that each one of us should be busy about the Father's business.  However, we are not cookie-cutter clones of each other.  Going about God's business often looks different for each of us.  But, God celebrates differences, and He uses our uniqueness for a purpose.

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.  A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other."  1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 (NLT)

God makes us different, and gives us different jobs on purpose so that we can help each other.  You see God packed the very thing I need in your giftings and talents and resources.  He made us to interconnect.  He made us to need each other.  So, although He may call me to go and do, He does not give me everything that I need to get there and get it done.  Because this is not a solo performance--it is a choir.  It is not a one man band--it is an orchestra.  In order to accomplish my God-given mission I need you.


Case in point: Nehemiah

Nehemiah was heartbroken about the news from back home.  His hometown was in shambles.  Everything was in utter disrepair, and they had no protection because the wall had been destroyed.  Nehemiah prayed, and prayed, and prayed, but it just wasn't enough.  The wall had to be rebuilt.  He had the passion, and felt the call.  He was stirred to action, and was ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work.  Just one problem:  he had the heart, but not the means.  His pockets were empty.  But, Nehemiah was not dissuaded by his lack of funds.  Because he knew someone that did have them. 

Enter the King.  You see Nehemiah worked for the king--the man with the means.  Nehemiah prayed for favor.  "Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” (Nehemiah 1:11)  Then one day the door of opportunity opened: the king noticed Nehemiah's heavy heart, and not only did he ask him what was wrong, he asked him how he, the King, could help Nehemiah, his servant!  It was the opportunity Nehemiah had prayed for.  And yet Nehemiah was terrified--it is NOT easy to ask people for money.  But, Nehemiah DID ask and the King DID give.
 
You see they both had a part to play in order to accomplish the task.  Nehemiah was the Goer and the King was the Sender.  It took them both to accomplish the rebuilding of the wall.  Just like in the case of Nehemiah and the King I believe that God still hooks the Goers up with the Senders.  He hitches those with the passion together with those that have the means.


I have had the pleasure of making a new friend, Christie.  She is a Goer.  God has given her a passion for the children of Africa.  She will be moving there shortly to start her newly appointed job of being the headmaster of a school in the Bugabo Village in Uganda.  She has the passion, and has accepted the call.  Her desire is to provide the 220 students under her care a uniform, a pair of shoes, school supplies, a meal during school each day, and any medical/dental visits needed for this school year.  In order to do that she needs $100 per student--$22,000 total.  She currently has 17 of the 220 students sponsored.

Christie needs Senders. 

She needs those that God has appointed with the means to step forward and donate.  Because although God called her to go, He did not give her everything she needed.  Why?  Because He gave it to YOU.  Because God designed us to interconnect.  He designed us to need each other.  Just like it took Nehemiah and the King to rebuild the wall, it will take Christie and her Senders to bless the students in Bugabo Village.

You can find all the details of how to get involved here.  Being a Sender is important, just as important as being the Goer.  One is not more important that the other--just different.  So say yes.  Say yes to God's call to be a Sender, and when you do come back here and tell me.  I want to give you something to commemorate you answering the call of the Sender.  The first 75 sponsors who come back and comment on this post will receive this lapel pin from me (it is a 1" pin of Africa with a heart over Uganda).  Make sure to leave your e-mail address when commenting so that I can contact you regarding your mailing information.  Thank you for answering the call--it takes each of us doing our part to accomplish the work that God has laid before us.  He made us that way on purpose.  He made us to need each other.