A Most Important Message, then to my blog!
I have a Xanga friend who has adopted a little girl from Russia. She has gone back to Russia several times with a group to work in orphanages. On one trip, she met a little girl (handicapped) and since then, God has placed it on her and her family's hearts to adopt this second child. She is needing money to fund the adoption and you can read all about the crafts she and her daughter, Charity, make to sell to fund the adoption. There is other info about "Katya" at Hope Ann's site. The following has been cut and pasted from Hope Ann's site.
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Here is the link to Katya's blog. http://bringingkatyahome11.blogspot.com/
You can go there to learn about her adoption and the ways you can help. Check out the side bar on the right hand side to see various ways to help.
You can go here to learn more about the mission trips our family has been involved in, including the one we made in Sept. of 2009 to Katya's orphanage. http://torussiaandbackagain.weebly.com/index.html
You can also read back in the archives of this blog (Sept and Oct of 2009) for stories and pictures about the trip to Katya's orphanage!
Welcome, and please follow along as we work hard to bring Katya home to a loving family and the medical care she needs and deserves! We are trying to save her life--and we invite you to join us!
Please visit her site at the link above. Please pray about supporting her and her family to raise money for this precious adoption. Please consider posting the links on your own blog.
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Okay . . .
Oh, my! Where to start?!
I'll start today and go backwards!
Today, Jesse and I are celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary.
In some ways, we can't believe all of the things we've lived through.
Certain things (like being married without our 3 youngest girls) are almost impossible to remember.
On the other hand, we don't feel like it's only been 13 years. It feels like we've been together for a life time.
(a bad photo of a photo)
This morning, someone in church teased us in the lobby as everyone was leaving. Something was said about our anniversary and a comment was made about "yeah, and they're still in love" to which I replied, "we sure are!"
People have teased us about still holding hands. People tease us all the time.
We took the girls to see lights in a nearby park on New Year's Eve and they teased Jesse and I about "mistletoe lights" being up ahead. Jesse and I would kiss and the girls would squeal, "Eeeeeew!" We had a ball kissing and listening to them squeal!!!!
We also had a chance in church to turn to our neighbor, hold their hand, and pray. Since Jesse and I were alone on the row, I had the privilege of praying for him . . . and pray for him, I did!
This year we didn't feel moved to do anything special - away from home or without our daughters. We went out for Mexican dinner, after church, at a very casual and simple restaurant. With the cold, cold temperatures outside, it was a perfect meal. Rissy and Annamarie split fajitas and I had a combination plate, half of which I took home in a box!
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were great. As I said before, no major decorations around the house this year, but lots of yummy things to eat. From my pictures, you'd think that was all we did!
The Christmas Eve dinner turned out perfect and I managed to get everything on the table and served, while it was still piping hot. I don't move as quickly as I used to, but I prayed this year for help. I asked God to help me wrap gifts extra pretty, and to help the food I prepared to be exceptionally delicious.
All prayers were answered.
The food turned out 5 star restaurant quality AND hot. The cozy ambiance at the table with the candles at each person's plate and twinkling lights in my silk ficus trees in the background made things feel extra special.
Our oldest daughter and our granddaughter were our only guests.
blurry picture of me and oldest daughter, Stephanie
How we wish our next oldest daughter and her family could have joined us. That was the only thing left to make the evening completely perfect!
"Some of us" started out the next morning eating candy and whatever yummy things came out of stockings or in the form of wrapped gifts!
We take eating very seriously around here!
There were some utterly horrible (wretched) pictures of me (these are for all of you that talk about my youthful skin and other such attributes) and I think I might have Jesse to thank for those pictures!
Some pictures I was aware of
(my triple chins and the cat's rear end!)
and other pictures caught me *TOTALLY* unaware!
That's a marshmallow candy cane and it was EXCELLENT!!!!
I have never been one to make "New Year's Resolutions" - not ever. But last year I wanted to add some things to my life and I was happy to look back and see that I had made those things I desired come to pass.
#1) I began a journal, only writing when I felt like it (not daily),
#2) I began to write letters, not just to friends and family, but letters of encouragement to various people
who crossed my path,
#3) I began to read again, setting aside my night time TV as a *reading* time, instead. I even bought a clip-on
mini light to read by, without bothering Jesse, and
#4) I began a daily (night time!) reading in my Bible and mid year bought Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His
Highest" to add to my nightly reading
I've restarted "My Utmost for His Highest" for this new year.
I have prayed for inspiration about something else to add to my list of desires.
A dear friend and her family keep coming to mind. Each time I pray, it's her face I see. She is like a relative, though only a friend, and I believe God wants me to become more involved with her and her family's life. So, that is my "goal" for this year!
I also need to be better about calling my own family and writing letters to all of them. It's one of those things where good intentions are, sometimes, waylaid by the busyness of my life.
With this *ONE* goal, surely I can make the time for others.
Today, Jesse said, on the way home from church/lunch, he would like to open our house more to company, as well as the guests we usually "serve" in our ministry of hospitality. I am with him 100%. I have also had that nudging in my spirit - to entertain and fellowship more with others in our home.
So, 2011 will, hopefully, bring an abundance of people into our lives and home. People in our lives on a much more intimate level.
I hope to look back on 2011 and find that ties have grown closer with friends; and, I hope to see that we've abandoned the occasional call just to keep in touch with the lives of others.
Be Blessed ~
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