Congratulations, Kelly, & a BIG "thank you" to everyone that jumped in.
And remember, if you didn't win but would like to help out an adoptive family bring their sweeties home, you can visit Wild Olive Tees here, pick one of their cool adoption tees, & enter code JOHNSON1119 so your order benefits their adoption. Today is the last day, so hurry on over!
And finally, I pray a blessing over the Block Family in their new journey. If you're just catching up, please visit Amy's blog to see the adventure God has in store for their family & how you can bless them with your prayers, encouragement, and/or financial support.
This has been a fun week for me. Honestly, it's easy to get caught up in what's happening in our little world, but it has blessed me beyond words to jump into the lives of others. We're all a team, so I figure sometimes God calls me to go, & sometimes He calls me to send, & there's a joy that comes in being part of His team.
Whew, finally got some people to join in my first giveaway. I was starting to feel like that poor girl that nobody wants to dance with or something (which I may or may not have experience with)!!
Sheesh!!
But very cool news as far as the adoption tee I'm giving away!!!
Visit here to see a sweet family that's bringing home 2 beautiful punkins from China. (Their kiddos just happen to all have "K" names, too!) The tee that I give away will have their family code when purchased, so they will get money towards their adoption. And if you don't happen to be the lucky winner, I'm going to do the drawing early enough tomorrow so that you could go on over & purchase one & enter their family code.
I mean, seriously, cool new t-shirt for Spring PLUS helping a family bring home 2 treasures!?! I'd say that's a great investment!! :o)
And just to make it easier for you to join in the fun, click here to get to my GIVEAWAY post. There's several easy ways to enter (one being that if you've been a "lurker", you could easily become a "follower", which would get me out of the darn 50's...just sayin'), so take a minute to see what's happenin' with some special people & how you can be a blessing!!
**I'm going to do the drawing by 10:00 tomorrow morning so I have time to contact the winner & get the t-shirt order. If you've already entered, be looking for the blog post (or an email if it's linked to your blog) so I can get your pick of t-shirt & size. I want to place the order tomorrow so the Johnson family can get the credit! :o)
Ok, people, you're killin' me here. My first giveaway, & up until a short while ago, I've had nothin' but crickets. (Thanks, Kelly, for getting things started...got you down for 2 entries!)
So, where is everybody?? Did I forget to put on my deodorant or what? Cause I know it ain't the prize, b/c everybody knows that Wild Olive Tees are awesome. So, in case you've just been busy & missed it, click here to read about the Block family & see how you can enter to win my first giveaway. It's not hard to get an entry, or two, or five! :o) I promise!!
This post is a "piggyback" off of my post yesterday. If you haven't had a chance, please take a moment to read it.
Now, if you've never met the Block family, I would like to introduce you to them. I have been blessed by their faith, by their family, & by their friendship. Amy has been one of the most beautiful friends I have ever had, & we have never met in person. Last year around this time, she was in Ethiopia to bring home her daughter, Havyn. While there, she sacrificially gave of her time to go to the orphanage where K'Tyo was living to give him our family photo book for us. I will never forget that feeling of knowing my friend had loved on my son while I was waiting.
Anyway, in my post yesterday I mentioned being passionate about our path. The Block family is a living, breathing example of what this looks like. God has planted a dream in their heart, & they have said, "Yes, we will go!" Please watch this video, & then keep reading.
Can you just feel the love that's overflowing from this family? Me, too. I would like to now challenge & encourage you to step into their lives.
In a day when our world is full of video games & "reality" shows, it's easy to become detached from what's happening in the world & go about our own business. I'd like to share with you something that God taught us on our journey to K'Tyo...He helped us understand what it feels like to have people join you to help you walk the path God has invited you to. We did not have a big slush fund to draw on to pay for our adoption, so we sent a letter to family & friends asking if they would join us to bring our son home. It was one of the hardest & most humbling things we have ever done, but it was also one of the biggest blessings in our Christian walk. We have always been the ones to "give", the ones to "do"...To then experience what it feels like to be on the receiving end was like nothing we had ever experienced. I used to think if I didn't have a big amount of money to give, that it just wasn't worth giving at all. WRONG!! Every time someone donated to our adoption fund, I was brought to my knees, & it had absolutely nothing to do with the amount of money given. It was all about the feeling that someone was saying, "I'm with you. I care about you. I want to be part of what God's doing in your life."
So, friends, I would like to ask that you step into the lives of this family. No amount is insignificant, & every word of encouragement is a blessing to them. Even if you really have nothing to give financially, stop by Amy's blog & let them know your heart is with them. While we may not all have the same dreams planted in our hearts, I believe we are all called to stand together & be the hands & feet of Jesus to one another. And I happen to know that Amy will continue to blog once they move to Guatemala, so how cool will it be to know that you are a missionary with them!?
To make a contribution online, get the address to make a tax deductible donation, and/or leave an encouraging word, please go here. And since I probably won't get the chance to give you a hug in person, how 'bout if I share some love through a GIVEAWAY! Ooooh, it's my first ever, & I'm SO EXCITED!!!
So, here's the scoop: I'm giving away a Wild Olive T-Shirt from their collection that benefits adoption (if you don't know it yet, Amy & I are passionate about adoption, so I figured this was a fitting prize!). If your name is drawn, you get to pick your size & style from the Adoption Fundraiser Tees here & I will have it shipped to you. Here's one of my favs:
To get an entry for an awesome tee, you can do any or all of the following things (in other words, the more you do, the more entries you get!): 1) Make a donation to the Blocks (2 Entries for Every $10, so if you donate $50, you get 10 entries); 2) Leave an encouraging word for Amy's family on her blog in the comments section (1 Entry); 3) Link to my blog on yours (1 Entry); 4) Link to my giveaway on FB (1 Entry). 5) And since my number of "followers" has been stuck in the 50's for so long & I want to give another opportunity for an entry, become a "follower" of my blog, & I'll throw in another entry (ok, this last one will just make me smile!). Please leave me a comment to let me know what you've been up to so I can give you the right number of entries!
So, there you have it. Lots of ways to get entries for an awesome shirt for awesome causes. I will have a drawing for the winner on March 31st. Now, go get busy being the hands & feet of Jesus!!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"When the dream of our heart is one that God has planted there, a strange happiness flows into us. At that moment, all of the spiritual resources of the universe are released to help us. Our praying is then at one with the will of God & becomes a channel for the Creator's purposes for us & our world."
~Catherine Marshall
This was part of my devotion that I read last night, & I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The theme of the devotion was about being "passionate about your path". It really struck a chord with me, especially when it speaks of the dreams of our hearts being ones that God has planted there.
When I look back over my life, I wonder how many times the dreams of my heart were influenced by society's ideals & not actual dreams that God so lovingly planted. It's probably too many to count.
However, I can tell you about the dreams God has planted. While the paths to these dreams sometimes felt like a scary nightmare (just keepin' it real), these dreams brought me closer to my Father because for those dreams to be reality, I could never do it myself.
People ask me all the time about why we adopted, how we knew where to go, what to do, etc. I have always said that He kept nudging my heart in ways that I could not ignore, nor did I want to. When I read this quote, it made me smile b/c I could just see those "nudges" as God with a backhoe a gardening shovel planting dreams in my heart.
And here's the result of a couple of those dreams (one of them has been much too busy playing outside to sit still with his sisters for a picture!):
Lord, thank you for these precious treasures conceived in my heart that have become a reality in our family.
This is a blog takeover by her firstborn. She doesn't know I'm doing this. I figured she does birthday posts making all of us sound wonderful, but she never gets a blog post that tells how wonderful she is.
So, let's just start by saying that my mother is one of the most caring, selfless people to ever walk this earth. She always puts her children before her and she's always the first to hold their hand if they need a little bit of guidance. Trust me, I have 21 years of experience with this. She's always been there through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, and that's everything you ever need in a momma. Even with eight children, she can always find time to listen to you. That's pretty special. I don't think I need to mention that she's special just for opening up her heart to children who need it most.
She always finds time to go to our "stuff." I can't think of anytime that my mom would not be at my activities. She finds time to juggle everything, and she somehow keeps track of it in a little planner that goes in her purse. I have a gigantic dry-erase calendar and it still doesn't work for me. She's crazy and we love knowing she'll come to support us at our activities. She'll always be our biggest cheerleader and biggest advocate. She's always got our backs and will always encourage us to do our best and fully commit to whatever we want to achieve in life.
Mom doesn't go without her "mommy-isms." I remember one time, my sister Kearsten and I were sitting and giggling on the steps, refusing to go to bed. My mom came and yelled at us, telling us to stop "sillying around." We laughed harder, having never heard that term. She ended up laughing too, trying to defend this odd choice of discipline words. My sister Kameryn is quick to point out Mom's lack of dance skill, as she is quick to jam out to music in front of Kameryn's friends. Luckily, I have had no experience with this, but she probably knows better. :-) She has a sense of humor. Glad she isn't so mean all of the time!!
Mom is crazy awesome, and I'm already lucky to know that she's becoming more of a friend to me as I get older. I think we'll keep her, only because she is kind of cool. ;-)
Happy Birthday Momma. You're the best person we could ever ask to care for us and prepare us to be the best we can be. You will always be special to us. We love you!!!!!! :-)
PS Don't be mad at me for starting off with an old picture. At least you're not in gardening clothes!!
K'Tyo has quite a sense of humor. However, lately, the chuckles he has caused have not been intentional bits of comedy.
As well as he has adjusted to being here, I forget sometimes that there's still a bit that gets lost in translation. Thus, we are the lucky recipients of "K'Tyo-isms" that bring about quite a bit of laughter, especially from the older siblings. K'Tyo's a good sport about it all!
I do forget sometimes, though, that there are still some things that are so strange, & he is still a little boy adapting to new surroundings. Yesterday, for example, we headed to the mall b/c he was in dire need of new shoes (again...another WHOLE size!).
As we entered through a clothing department, he was suddenly lagging behind quite apprehensively. I turned around & asked him what was up. He said, "I'm afraid." I looked around & he pointed around with a sweeping motion & I realized that the headless mannequins had thrown him for a loop. Oh, mercy...once I did some explaining, he giggled a bit & we moved on.
And now, here's some of my favorite K'Tyo-isms from recently:
When we brought Kendi home, he stood beside me stroking her face & wondering where she came from asked, "Did you go to Ethiopia??" No. "Well, then, what, did you go to store?"
After straightening the toy room, he said, "Mom, it looks like nice!"
Last week, we had horrible stomach flu go through the house. He went to bed one night, only to reappear a few minutes later with a panicked look on his face. "I lay down & my belly go boom." I never did fully grasp what he was telling me b/c we were too busy scrambling for a barf bowl. He never did get sick to his stomach??
Kaelee asked Kaya if she wanted to be a gymnast when she grows up, to which she said yes. K'Tyo excitedly said, "Kaya wants to be Jesus!!"
And my most favorite to date: We've all been giving encouraging reminders to K'Tyo about being a good listener during circle time at preschool (Little Man is a bit social...imagine that). Kearsten prompted him with, "K'Tyo, who are you going to be good for?"
The flu hit our house. Hard. And this mama was bummin' b/c my baby girl, Kameryn, turned 17 on Friday, & I was laid out. I literally got all teary when Joe came up to check on me later in the day b/c I was supposed to have a date with my three "big girls" for dinner & a movie. Didn't happen. Hopefully, we can make up for it this weekend...thank goodness Kam has some awesome friends that brought her a cake & took her out for her day.
But today is a new day, & I am finally wearing something other than pajamas, so I decided a birthday post was in order.
Baby Kam-Kam...
Next week, nobody is going to remember what you wore today.
In a few years, nobody will recall your basketball stats or your other high school accomplishments.
But for a lifetime, people will remember your heart. And there is nothing that makes your Mommy & Daddy more proud than the hugeness of that heart of yours.
What a year this has been, & I will forever treasure the memories of our trip to Ethiopia to bring your brother home. One of my favorite memories is of our time at Children's Heaven when a few of those sweet girls were so excited to get to play basketball & soccer with you that they didn't want to quit even when the rains came.
I am blessed to be married to the love of my life, Joe, who also happens to be my best friend. Together, we co-founded Hope 4 The Wounded Educational Seminars in which Joe provides training on working with wounded children. I am soon to be mother of nine...five conceived in my belly, four conceived in my heart. We have journeyed to our "heart children" by way of foster care, Ethiopia, US domestic, & now, we're heading to China. I am seeking His will every day in this walk of faith that is my life. I hope 4 the wounded of this world...especially the children, but also you & me. It's an imperfect world, I'm an imperfect person, but I'm on this journey that God has blessed me with, so if you'd like to join me, I'd be honored to call you "friend".
Memorial Weekend, 2011 ~ Emailed BAAS our desire to pursue "Little K's" adoption 6/7/11 ~ LOI arrives in China 6/8/11 ~ Receive PA!!! 6/17/11 ~ Begin Home Study 7/27/11 ~ Home Study Finished (but approval person at BAAS is OOT for 2 weeks...boo) 8/17/11 ~ Home Study Approved!! 8/18/11 ~ I800a Sent 10/14/11 ~ I800a Approved! 10/20/11 ~ I800a Approval Received 11/4/11 ~ DTC!! 11/14/11 ~ LID!! 12/21/11 ~ LOA!!!! 12/22/11 ~ I800 Sent!
10/12/2009 - Inquire about a Waiting Child Listing on Rainbow Kids & find ourselves staring into the face of a sweet little 3-yr-old boy. Fill out application with IAN & receive file.
10/15/2009 - Decision to adopt this little boy through IAN!!
10/16/2009 - Paper Chase Begins! Update domestic home study to international & gather docs for dossier.
12/10/2009 - HS & Dossier overnighted to IAN. Filed I-600A.
1/2/2010 - Received fingerprint appt. for 1/26 & officially waiting for a court date in Ethiopia!
1/26/2010 - Fingerprints done!!
2/5/2010 - Received I-171H from USC*S
2/25/2010 - Got the call--Court Date is March 10!
3/10/2010 - Didn't Pass Court, New Court Date of 3/24
3/24/2010 - Passed Court!! :o) Now we wait for embassy date confirmation so that we know when to travel.
4/23/2010 - Received embassy confirmation for 5/4--We're leaving in one week to bring our son home!! 4/30/2010 - Embarked on our 8,000 mile journey to bring home K'Tyo.
