The Results Are In…

***Please take our quick survey and let us know how we can improve for next year.  Thank you!***

So sorry it has taken me so long!  We have had some family emergencies and medical issues this week.  (Glad they waited until after the campaign!)  But it has kept me from posting our FINAL results!!  I have been so excited not only to draw winners for the giveaway, but also to tell you the amazing results of all our hard work fundraising.  It was a great year and I am so glad that all of you took part in it.  Thank you so much to everyone who prayed, participated and donated to make this a success!

We raised $10,000 for our children, families and for Reece’s Rainbow!  Not only that, but one precious little boy found his family because of our campaign!  Praising God for His great blessing on this journey.  It has made every bit of work more than worth it!  I would do it again in a heartbeat… but that, of course, is a post for another day!  For now I will get to the giveaway results, which has been so fun!  I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I did!

Winner of The Grand Prize!!

($200 in the gift card of your choice or $400 to the child or family of your choice)
Is… CARL WENDORFF!

*****

Giveaway 2: Premiere Jewelery Necklace
Graciously donated by Annie Trenda of Helping the Helpless

The winner is… BELLE GILMORE!

Giveaway 3: Personalized Nike Golf Bag
Graciously donated by Elaina Lawrence of With Love from R!

The winner is… JONI KUMMER!

Giveaway 4: Hairbow Holder & Two Custom Hairclips
Graciously donated by Sandra Chia of Tripping Differently

The winner is… ELIZABETH DOCK!

Giveaway 5: “Chosen” Pendant
Generously donated by Kara McIntee of Catholic Kara

The winner is… BELLE GILMORE!

Giveaway 6: Vera Bradley Bag
Generously donated by Jennifer Earleywine of Gathering His Blessings

The winner is… JONI KUMMER!

Giveaway 7: Nursing Scarves
Graciously donated by Kaite Johnson of InfinityMOM

The winner is… LONI TERBUSH!

Giveaway 8: Matching Hat & Scarf Sets
Graciously donated by Christy Ashby of Mother’s Little Helper

The winner is… BELLE GILMORE!

Giveaway 9: Super Organizing Tote
Donated by… Us!

The winner is… LONNI TERBUSH!

Giveaway 10: Chainmail Bracelets
Graciously donated by Daneille Vrtar of Wonder of Boys

The winner is… AUBREY MILLER!

Giveaway 11: Freshwater Pearl Bracelets
Graciously donated by Kelsey Jakubauskas of Four Plus More!

The winner is… JOANNA RIST!

Giveaway 12: Diamond Earrings
Graciously donated by Kathy Shearer who is advocating for Marci

The winner is… MICHELLE BUHLER!

Giveaway 13: Starbucks Gift Card
Graciously donated by Lydia Rosencrants of  Eight is Not Enough

The winner is… MAUREEN HUAZINGA!

Giveaway 14: Itunes Gift Card
Graciously donated by the Kindall Family.

The winner is… MICHELLE BUHLER!

Giveaway 15: Cookie Capers Gift Certificate
Graciously donated by Angel Quiambao of Open Eyes and Open Arms

The winner is… ELIZABETH DOCK!

 

Giveaway 16: Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Graciously donated by Katherine Killen of Our Family… HIS Way

The winner is… MICHELLE KEEGAN!

Giveaway 17: Amazon Gift Card
Generously donated by Julie Dike

The winner is… MARCELINE MILLER!

Giveaway 18: Target Gift Card with Accessories

Graciously donated by Lisa Matthews of Three Little Birds (plus one more)

The winner is… MARCELINE MILLER!

Giveaway 19: Walmart Gift Card
Graciously donated by Amanda Unroe of Beautifully Chromosomally Enhanced

The winner is… STEPH!

Giveaway 20: Family Movie Night Kit
Graciously donated by Jenn Abell of Abell Blended Blessings

The winner is… KATY COLBRY!

Giveaway 21: Family Game Night Kit
Graciously donated by Jenn Abell of Abell Blended Blessings

The winner is… ELIZABETH DOCK!

Giveaway 22: Encourage Me! Set
Graciously donated by Kat of Everlasting Momentum

The winner is… RANDI LANZ!

Giveaway 23: Relaxation Kit
Graciously donated by the Schye Family

The winner is… MARCELINE MILLER!

 

Giveaway 24: The Twenty Minute Getaway
Graciously donated by Jen Kibler-McCabe of Blogging for Brett

The winner is… LONNI TERBUSH!

Giveaway 25: Scrapbooking Bonanza
Generously donated by Randi Lanz of Adoption Adventure with Two Little Princesses

The winner is… BELLE GILMORE!

 

Giveaway 26: Willow Tree Figurine
Graciously donated by Michelle Buhler of Imagery of My Heart

The winner is… AMY MURRAY!

Giveaway 27: Medium Bamboo Platter
Generously donated by Heather Dismuke of  All you need is love… 

The winner is… DESTINY PACKER!

Giveaway 28: Crystalwave Tupperware Set
Graciously donated by Angel Quiambao of Open Eyes and Open Arms

The winner is… TERESA GORMAN!

Giveaway 29: Hand-Painted Pallet Sign
Graciously donated by Michelle Binkley of Pursuing Abundant Life

The winner is… JAIME VANCHURA!

Giveaway 30: Choose Your Own Quilt
Graciously donated by Melissa Schmitt of One More Light of Mine

The winner is… SUSAN KASZA!
But… I have to add something here.  We had two amazing ladies who both donated every day of our fundraiser.  And they always entered for this quilt.  We were so moved by the dedication of Susan and Cindy that we have decided to give them BOTH a quilt!  Thank you ladies!!

 

Giveaway 31: Original Framed Painting
Graciously donated by Amanda and Heather of Starling Night

The winner is… KATY COLBRY!

Giveaway 32: Brookstone Towel Warmer
Graciously donated by Rachel Cox of Where We WROME

The winner is… MICHELLE BUHLER!

Giveaway 33: Blu Ray & DVD Player
Graciously donated by Elaina Lawrence of With Love from R!

The winner is… CARL WENDORFF!

Giveaway 34: Tie Dye Set
Graciously donated by Daneille Vrtar of Wonder of Boys

The winner is… CASSIE MAKELA!

 

Giveaway 35: Baby Blanket with Matching Hat & Booties
Graciously donated by Teresa Gorman of Sleeping Under God’s Wings

The winner is… JESSICA CASTELLANA!

Giveaway 36: Sock Monkey Bundle
Graciously donated by Dana Smith who is advocating for Ulysses

The winner is… JOANNA RIST!

Giveaway 37: Toy Story Quilt
Graciously donated by Beth Baird of Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

The winner is… MARCELINE MILLER!

Giveaway 38: New Baby Bundle
Donated by … us!

The winner is… JULIE NEBEL!

 

Giveaway 39: Custom Videos
Generously donated by Belle Gilmore of  We Will Love the Least of These

The winner is… BROOKE KIRK!

Giveaway 40: It Works! Wraps
Generously donated by Amanda Unroe of Beautifully Chromosomally Enhanced

The winner is… REBECCA ADAMS!

Christ is Risen!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first annual Forty to Forever campaign!

I am crunching numbers now and cannot wait to tell you how much we raised this year!  I am humbled and amazed at the wonderful work that we accomplished this year, and I hope you will all join us for next year!  Tomorrow I am taking the day off, and my family and I are going to have some much needed down time together.  But after that I will get you the giveaway results I am sure you are itching for and I will let you know how you can continue helping the rest of our families and children even though our event has ended.  Many blessings to you all!

CHRIST IS RISEN!  HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!!

Day 40: Justin Needs a Family!

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Justin… $317 to go! 

Today is another bittersweet day as we bring our forty day long journey to an end.  There were so many Russian orphans on our fundraiser that we had no choice but to cut off our donations from, if not for our prayers and our hearts.  This little boy is one that the advocates for the Russian babies we had to let go, chose as a recipient in their place.  Justin is our very last child this year.  Isn’t he absolutely gorgeous?  He is one of the most handsome baby boys I have ever seen!

We don’t know a lot about Justin, but we do know a few things.  He was born in June of 2011.  Justin has Down syndrome, and congenital heart disease;  he is said to have a double discharge of the great vessels from right ventricle, with stenosis of pulmonary artery.   His records also state a  secondary defect of the chamber divider, and cardiac insufficiency of the 1st degree.  Do they sound scary?  Yes, a little.  But look at this sweet boy.  He is so much more than a list of diagonses.

He is just a kid!  A cute, precious, lovable child who deserves to be called son.  He is at the perfect age for someone to scoop him up and get him the much needed therapy and medical care he can’t get where he is at now.  What a treasure is in store for his family, if only they will see him!  Please help us find Justin’s family.  Pray that God will sow our seeds in just the right places.  Share him with your family and friends, and give generously to his account.  If he reaches his goal today he will be very close to a $5000 grant for his adoption!  That will give him an incredible amount of visibility and will help his family get to him quickly once they commit.

Thank you for joining us on this incredible Lenten journey.  I know it has been long, but can we have an incredible day and go out big today?  Let’s reach our goal for Justin, pray him home and watch as God works wonders before our very eyes!

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 40: Feast!

Daily Scripture Reading: Matthew 28

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 145:1-3

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” – Matthew 28:1-6

What is the best thing about a fast?  It ends!  Christ is risen!  Alleluia!  Now all that is left is to finish your fast and prepare for the feast tomorrow!  And I suspect that most of us really don’t need much coaching on how to feast.  I have been telling you so much about the natural cycle of fasts and feasts, and now is the exciting part where we get to prepare for the greatest feast of the year, Easter!  And that is all I have, really, on that matter!

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!!

Daily Challenge: Finish your fast and prepare for a feast! 

Day 39: Johanna for the Dismuke Family

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Johanna… $297 to go! 

This is sweet Johanna.  She is almost six and has dwarfism.  This is her family’s story…

“My loving husband and I have been married for almost 8 years (has it really been that long?). We have two wonderful little girls who we cherish with all our hearts. In 2008, I started hinting to my husband that I wanted to adopt but he had many misconceptions of adoption (like only people who can’t have children adopt). So, I prayed and hinted A LOT that I wanted more children and I wanted them through adoption. You see, I had wanted to adopt children longer then I could remember. I wanted a child from every continent if God would allow it (well, that is what I thought when I was a teenager).

I prayed daily that God would open my husband’s heart to adoption.  Then, the craziest thing happened, God put families who had adopted in our path.  My husband saw what adopting really looks like.  He saw children who had possibilities because they had a loving family. One night, while surfing the web, I got on the the advocacy website, Reece’s Rainbow, because one of those families that God was using to soften hearts were adopting two beautiful little ones that were listed there.  We identified a little girl in a country in Eastern Europe and we began the process.

As the months went on, we found ourselves done with the home study and on to the dossier stage.  We were moving right along and it felt great.  Then road bumps started to occur, but no bump is too big for God, so we continued with faithful hearts.  Then one day, the door was slammed shut, and our adoption was put into limbo.  We lived on a roller coaster; we had good days and very bad days.  We continued with the adoption because we knew this was what God wanted us to do.  Then one night with tears in my eyes, I prayed that God would give us a yes or no….I needed a direct answer…no maybe. The next morning, He gave us that answer and while it was not the answer I was hoping for, it was the answer we would except.

So, here we are starting again, not from the beginning but close to it.  We have gone from the red bear and have chosen to go with the red thread.  While it is not the journey we started out on it is the journey God intended us to go on.  The little girl we have received a referral for will soon to be 6 years old and has dwarfism. Her sisters are anxious to have her come home.  We are waiting for a second child to become available in the same providence so that we can bring home both children.”

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 39: Don’t trust in it.

Daily Scripture Reading: Isaiah 64

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 145:1-3

You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. – Isaiah 64:5-7

Today is Good Friday.  Remember, we have to do Friday before Sunday?  This is when we remember Jesus, on the cross, dying for our sin.  I picked these verses specifically because the cross is not mainly about remembering Jesus’ suffering, but remembering why He had to suffer.  Jesus’ death on the cross was carried out in the mire of our own sin – we put Him on that cross to take the punishment, the separation from God, that rightly belonged to us.  None of us are good.  We all fall short.  And that’s what I want to impress upon us today.

If your fast went very well, look to the cross and remember how well you do is not where you should ever put your trust.  All of our good works are as filthy rags!  They are nothing compared to the enormous debt that we owe.  Never wade on the dangerous ground that you have done good enough for God to be pleased with your offering.  He is pleased with your offering, because when He looks at it He does not see your sin-filled, incomplete works, but the works of Christ.  When God looks at us He sees His Beloved Son with whom He is well pleased.

If your fast went very poorly (probably more like mine…) do not agonize over your failure!  This betrays sin too, as we do not do the good works we want to do.  These are sins of omission, knowing there is good to do and not doing it.  If you, like me, have had plenty of these sins throughout Lent – look to the cross.  See your sin nailed there, repent, and receive the forgiveness that Jesus won for you on that cross.

However the fast went, don’t despair and don’t place your hope in how well you do.  Jesus alone saves.

Daily Challenge: Thank God for redeeming you in Christ apart from your works!

Day 38: Marci Needs a Family!

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Marci… $198 to go! 

Meet Marci! She is just over two years old and has recently learned to stand up on her own! Isn’t she the cutest thing? That soft baby hair and chubby little arms are too adorable! At some point in the last year Dana and his wife Kathy were introduced to Reece’s Rainbow and the special needs adoption community. They spent a great deal of time reading the information on Reece’s Rainbow and learning about the way the children featured on the site live. They both felt a tug at their heartstrings and began to advocate for these children through prayer and the Angel Tree program.

After seeing a great deal in the news about children and programs in Eastern Europe they began to investigate the needs and process for that area. As Kathy said: “The conditions described there weighed on our hearts and minds and we barely took a second look at children from other countries.” One night, Kathy read that Asian children with Down syndrome are the last to be adopted, despite the straightforward nature of programs there, and felt an overwhelming presence indicating that God was calling them to look there. She was unsure of Dana’s response though- since there had been so much discussion about Eastern Europe- and did not bring the idea up to him. Awhile later, during a discussion about special needs adoption, Dana revealed that he had also been thinking more and more about adopting a child from an Asian country, instead of Europe as they had discussed.

Shortly thereafter, they found Marci on the Reece’s Rainbow Angel Tree and were struck by the little cutie.  They Shearer family says: “She is the same age as our own daughter and we felt particularly drawn to her sweet face and chubby little arms! We knew we had to reach out and advocate for this child. We hope to pursue adoption very soon, but in the meantime we intend to fundraise for Marci and hope to grow her adoption fund so that her forever family can go get her- and soon! Will you join us in praying for and supporting Marci?”

FLASH GIVEAWAY: We will be giving away this gorgeous pearl necklace today!! To enter simply share or donate and comment to let us know!

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 38: When you fast don’t neglect the… feast?

Daily Scripture Reading: Matthew 26

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 145:1-3

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we commemorate the institution of the Lord’s Supper by Jesus.  This is an incredible scene, and one of my favorite days of the Church year.  Picture the moment.  Jesus will shortly be beginning His Passion, his betrayal and trial that will end in an excruciating death.  His disciples still do not understand the magnitude of the situation, but Jesus knows.  He is preparing Himself for death; this is His last meal with the disciples.  Now, this meal was not just any other meal – it was incredibly significant.  This was Jesus’ last act of ministry to the Church before His passion.  If it were your final act of ministry would you just give your people a commemorative meal that really has no greater benefit?  Probably not!  You would want to provide them with lasting and real spiritual care that will continue to provide long after you have gone.  The significance of what Christ does in this final act of ministry is just as poignant and significant as the timing of it.  Here is how it plays out:

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” – Matthew 26:26-29

Did you catch that?  For the forgiveness of sins!  That’s crazy!  Does Jesus really mean to say that we can receive forgiveness through partaking in His Last Supper?  It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but bear with me.  What about in John 6 when Jesus publicly announces to everyone that “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”  He lost quite a few followers over that statement!  But now, here, in His last meal… He fulfills His Promise to us to give us this very tangible way to receive eternal life and forgiveness and sins through His body and blood that was shed for us on the cross.  Beautiful.  Incomprehensible.  A foretaste of the feast to come!  A feast that we should never neglect… even in the fast.

Daily Challenge: Does your church have a Maundy Thursday evening service?  If not, find one in your area and visit.

Day 37: Colton for the McIntee Family

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Colton… $257 to go! 

Colton is a sweet, two year old boy who has Down syndrome.  Isn’t he precious?  Please help us get this sweet boy home!  This is his family’s story…

Kyle and Kara met in 2004 and quickly fell in love. They were soon blessed with four beautiful daughters after that and live a blissfully busy life.  When Kara discovered Reece’s Rainbow, it was like a dream come true. She has always been called to orphans and especially the work of Mother Teresa, but didn’t know how to help. So, having a tangible way to advocate for these children was amazing. Kara spent months advocating for a sweet little redhead, Nico.  When she saw Nico’s face, and after a series of signs from The Lord,  ”someday” became “now.” Kyle wasn’t so sure, but after a while, and some more signs, he was on board too. and the family committed to bringing him home in September of last year.

Unfortunately, political tensions in his country and legislation unfriendly to international adoption closed that door, and after months in limbo, they felt called to continue their journey for another little boy who needs a home and family. They pray that they will able to bring Nico home someday, but until God makes that possible, they will work toward giving sweet Colton the stable home and loving family that every child deserves. God willing, someday Nico and Colton will be brothers.

The McIntees are thankful for this opportunity and hope you will pray for them and the boys as they continue their journey to Colton.

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

P.S. – Also come join our Catch Up Party (the extended version) on Facebook!  We have tons of party favors for our guests, so come help us catch up our kiddos as we finish off this last week!

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 36: Do Friday before Sunday.

Daily Scripture Reading: Mark 15

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 145:1-3

Yesterday we eagerly looked forward to Easter, but today I wanated to take a step back again into the present.  It is Wednesday of Holy Week and Friday is quickly approaching.  As we anticipate Easter, we remember that in order to get to the Resurrection we always first must go through the crucifixion.  The cross always comes before the Resurrection, and so it is with fasting and feasting.

A weekly routine of fasting and feasting reminds us of the spiritual reality we, as Christians, bear in this life.  We are part of the Church Militant, taking up our cross and following our Lord to Golgotha.  Yet, even in the face of all our burdens and trials in this life – our Savior lives!  We rejoice in that Resurrection truth, and look forward to our Lord’s return with great anticipation, hope and joy.  It is good and right for us to remember both of these truths, not only on Holy Week, but every week.  Having a regular schedule of fasting beyond Advent and Easter, is an important and neglected spiritual discipline.  And it helps prepare us for the longer fasts such as this one.

There are many ways this could practically look.  Some Christians fast on Wednesday or Friday or both.  Fasting on Wednesday helps us remember Jesus’ betrayal, and fasting on Friday helps remind us of his death on the cross for our sin.  Christians also have a long history of fasting before receiving Communion.  Many people make a habit of eating nothing after supper on Saturday until after church on Sunday.  However you decide to fast, do fast!  Jesus expected that His followers would fast regularly, and it is expected of  us today as well.

Daily Challenge: How can you incorporate fasting into your weekly routine?

Day 36: Gage for the Earleywine Family

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Gage… $305 to go! 

Today we are raising money for the Earleywine family who is in a very difficult position.  They need a few thousand dollars by the end of the month to continue with their adoption, or they will lose their referral.  Their son is in a notoriously bad orphanage and needs out!  Here is their story:

“We are a Christian, home-schooling family. We have been married for almost 15 years, and we have been blessed with 6 children ages 12 to4. We love children, and are excited to open our home and family to more children that need a loving family and the care that we can provide to them. I have several siblings who were adopted, and I can remember the joy it brought to my heart to add them to our family when I was growing up. My Husband, Jayson was himself adopted, along with many of his siblings. Also, my Mom was adopted, so we have been surrounded by loving adoption our whole lives and I think our desire to adopt is partly a natural outflow from that.We also know that these orphans are faced with so many challenges and difficulties. They need to be wanted, loved, nurtured, educated, and to receive medical care. We are adopting a precious boy from an orphanage in Eastern Europe.  He has Cerebral Palsy and is not in the greatest of orphanages. The sooner we can go and get him to bring him home the better! God bless you and thank you for reading our story!

Gage turned 2 years old in October.  As you can see from his picture, his smile could melt ice!  He is currently living in a notoriously bad orphanage in Eastern Europe and needs out ASAP. His country is in Eastern Europe. As of the most recent medical info we have been given on him, CP is his only diagnosed special need. I am sure that he has orphanage delays, but it would be difficult to say what kinds and how severe without having been able to meet him in person yet. In my opinion, the sooner he gets out the better. I think that after he is out of the “cute baby phase” in the minds of caregivers, he would likely suffer from more neglect. The older children with CP in his institution have not been in good shape.

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

P.S. – Also come join our Catch Up Party (the extended version) on Facebook!  We have tons of party favors for our guests, so come help us catch up our kiddos as we finish off this last week!

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 36: Get ready to shout!

Daily Scripture Reading: Psalm 98

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 145:1-3

I know, it is still Holy Week… we are still looking forward to Good Friday and the cross.  But I only have one final week of devotions and my heart is bursting with readiness to celebrate the Resurrection!  Besides, ending a fast is just as important as starting one, and I feel that I should at least cover this topic while I have you here!  So what do we do when the fasting is ended?  Feast, of course!  Remember a few days ago when we talked about following the Church’s calendar so that we could be in tune with the fasting and feasting cycles of the Church?  After fasting there is usually feasting!  And there is always a great reason for it.  Next week we will have the greatest reason of all: Our God is Alive!  Risen from the dead!  What better reason to have a party?

But that’s not exactly the end of the rule.  Eating food and having a party come pretty naturally, so how do we need to get ready?  Well, I find that just as we are supposed to wash our face during a fast, and not announce to the world that we are fasting – the exact opposite is true during a feast.  Easter is the highest feast of the Church, and it is a great joy to shout out our Lord’s victory from the rooftops!  This coming Sunday, and throughout the Easter season (which lasts 50 days!!! And you thought 12 days of Christmas was fun to keep up with…) we have an extra opportunity to share about our amazing Savior.  So what will you be doing to shout it from the rooftops this Easter season?  Let’s start brainstorming and preparing our hearts for the joy of the feast!  I would love to hear all of your great plans and ideas in the comments!

Daily Challenge: How can we celebrate Christ in a way that the world around us will see?

Day 35: Libby for the Vanchura Family

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Libby… $118 to go! 

Today we were supposed to be raising money for Vanessa for the Abell family.  This time is bittersweet for so many reasons.  It is bitter because Vanessa’s adoption has had to be put on hold until Russia reopens to international adoption.  It’s tragic, because Vanessa must now still wait for her family… so much longer than is necessary.  No child should have to wait to be loved.  Heartbreakingly bitter… but it is also sweet.  God turns even the worst situations into opportunity for great good.

The Abell family was gracious in their time of grief.  They chose to bless another family while their adoption is temporarily on hold.  The Vanchura family also understands the pain of needing to give their child into the hands of God while they wait for their son’s country to reopen.  They are also allowing God to bring something sweet out of the bitter reality they face.  It is a great honor to introduce you to the Vanchura family.  I will let them tell you their story in their own words…

“Nobody goes into adoption without expecting a good dose of heartbreak. We thought we were ready for it. We are a young family and have 4 kids, ages 7 through 2. We’re loud, and somehow managed to teach sarcasm to our toddler (don’t ask), but we love fully and give freely when we have the chance. And the children of Reece’s Rainbow have our hearts.

When we found Mac, we knew all of our reservations were pointless—he was the one. After many delays, our dossier landed in Russia on October 9. When we expected to receive travel dates, our region was audited, and our dossier was on a 6-week-long freeze. We never received the referral information for the boy we consider our son. We anticipated travelling to meet him on January 14, 2013. Putin and his Duma cut us off from our son on January 1, 2013. We are committed to wait for as long as it takes.

In the meantime, our precious son’s paperwork is valid, his immigration approval is a single document away from being updated to another non-Hague country, and we have 2/3 of the funds ready and waiting. The story of the workers who were trusted with the master’s coins comes to mind. (Matt. 25:14-29) Are we going to hold on to this money so we’ll be ready at the drop of a hat to bring Mac home? Or would we move forward to bring home another angel, confined to a crib, stigmatized for life because of an extra chromosome?

While many Russia families are being called to wait without ceasing, we are following our calling to pursue the little adorable nakey-baby who we didn’t consider 10 months ago because “we just couldn’t possibly find a way to adopt from that Eastern European country—they make you go for 5 weeks!!” And, she had a new family just around the time we found our Mac.

Little did we know that we would be called to pursue her adoption in February. Libby has a baby picture that makes mamas swim across oceans and daddy’s sharpen swords to defend her . But our connection to her isn’t her gorgeous half-smile, her soft coppery hair, or her jumbo-sized ticklish baby belly. We knew we should pursue Libby when we read that she had lost her first family in October due to her in-country paperwork being incomplete. Oh, how this must have broken her first committed family’s heart. A heartbreak we were living ourselves.

We looked to that family’s example to move for this little one who should have been home for Christmas, except that wasn’t God’s plan. And we know next to nothing about this sweet princess. We certainly don’t have a girl’s name picked out, and we haven’t even had three weeks to fall in love with her country. Those things will come in time.

Our love is for her. The six months we spent preparing our dossier for Mac is only going to take two more weeks to be complete for “Libby.” We may be in her country by mid-May. It’s like having a one hour labor after your last birth was a 36 hour marathon. Our financial needs are finite: about $3500 to be fully funded. We are so grateful to Forty to Forever for standing in the gap for us, when we didn’t even know we were going to bring Libby home when Lent began.

We are starting a Facebook art auction today featuring the work of artists with special needs.  You can see that here. Anyone who makes a donation to our Forty to Forever campaign of $10 or more and also places a bid in or shares the auction, will receive 20 entries in a special drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card on April 9th (winner to be announced on our auction page). That’s in addition to all of the great prizes being offered by Forty to Forever already!

Thank you for believing in these children. Mac will always be our son; we will never stop trying to bring him home. But our journey to him led us to Libby. We are so grateful for the chance.

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 35: Recite the Psalms.

Daily Scripture Reading: Psalm 145

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 145:1-3

After Palm Sunday the refrain in my head is always “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!”  Even knowing what comes of Jesus Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, it still makes me want to shout and praise Him!  Perhaps even more so?  We’ve talked a lot about how focusing on Christ, can help us in fasting.  Taking the focus of our moments off of ourselves, our discomforts and complaints, etc. and putting our focus back on Christ, the One who fulfills us in everything… yes, that is exactly how to fast!  I couldn’t think of a better way.

When I think of praise, one book in particular comes to mind.  That’s right… the Psalms.  The Psalms are actually songs written by God.  Many of them were written by King David for exactly the purpose of praise.  We know, because they are also Holy Scripture, that God Himself wrote the Psalms.  They contain truths, even prophecies of Christ written thousands of years before His birth!  They teach us and, the best part, they tell us about Jesus.  What better way to praise Him than with His  own lyrics?

Daily Challenge: Find a way to incorporate the Psalms into your daily devotions.

Day 34: Angelina Needs a Family!

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Angelina… $270 to go!

Today is another one of those difficult days.  We were supposed to be raising money today for one of our sweet Russian babies, but due to the current climate in Russia, there is no way we can possibly take any donations for those precious orphans there.  Please pray that Russia will take an honest look at the plight of their orphans with special needs, that they will realize these children deserve better than the mental institutions they have to offer, and that sacrificing the lives of their most vulnerable citizens is a more shameful thing than any political fumble.  Pray for our Russian friends and those that govern them.  Pray for Russian orphans, and pray for their families that long to hold them one day.

While we wait and pray for God to move hearts and open minds, we turn our fundraising efforts over to Miss Angelina.  What a beautiful girl she is!  Angelina has spina bifida.  But more noticably, she has gorgeous blonde hair and giant blue eyes!  And those ruby red lips?  This child could be a model!  Angelina is turning six years old in May; she needs a family to come for her or she faces the rest of her life in a mental institution.  She should not be hidden away with a life sentence!  This girl should be playing, learning, thriving and being loved to itty little bits.

Our sweet Angelina has several things listed from her medical records.  “Congenital dysfunction, myelocele of lumbosacral part of spinal cord (had surgery); internal hydrocephalus, flail legs with dysfunction of pelvis/hips, delay of psychological development.”  I know this list sounds a little long and scary, but it’s not really.  Almost all of her diagnoses are either already corrected or could be easily handled here in the United States.  She is delayed, but the girl hasn’t yet had a chance to love and learn!  Children grow exponentially when they are adopted into loving homes.  A family who met her in 2011 says she’s the happiest child, always smiling and laughing.  Just think of the spirit of this girl!  To be so happy, even in her circumstances.  I can only imagine the incredible blessing she will be to her mommy and daddy one day.

Help us shout for this sweet pumpkin!  If you think you might be her mommy or daddy please Go Here to learn more.  There are more photos available for interested families!  Everyone else, share and give as you feel led!

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 34: Follow the Calendar

Daily Scripture Reading: Matthew 26

Weekly Memory Verse: Hebrews 12:1-7

Today our reading transports us back in time to the events that occurred the week before Jesus’ death.  After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (which we will be remembering tomorrow on Palm Sunday), the religious leaders plot to kill Jesus.  Things happen very quickly.  Jesus is anointed with oil, Judas makes the decision to betray him, the Passover is prepared, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper with his disciples, He takes them up to Gethsemane to pray and finally He is handed over to stand trial and be crucified.  This all happens within the course of a week; there are details recorded about the happenings on every day except Wednesday of Holy Week.  There is quite a lot we can learn from following Christ’s passion, following the same timeline as it took for things to occur.

We all follow the Church calendar to some extent, even if we don’t realize it.  We all celebrate Easter and Christmas at the usual times (or at unusual times if you follow the Orthodox Church year :P) but what happens between those two milestone events?  Are the birth and Resurrection of Jesus really the only events of Christ life that we have to celebrate or remember?  How can we rightly celebrate Easter without first remembering the Christ’s death?  How can we rightly celebrate Christmas without first taking time to recall the thousands of years that Israel waited longingly for Him?

And what about the rest of Jesus life?  His baptism, His ministry, His temptation in the wilderness… there is so much to remember!  And what about the life of the Church?  Mary, the Apostles, Old and New Testament saints… God’s Church has such a rich history.  The Church calendar serves to remind us of this great legacy; it teaches us about the life of Jesus, the early Church and also helps us to look forward to the end of time and the eternity we get to spend with Christ.  It really is a beautiful tapestry that we can live out in our daily spiritual life.  It is an amazing teaching tool, and what does it have to do with fasting?

Churches that use the calendar, use it also to guide their fasting practices.  During solemn times, like Lent, we fast.  Some Christians fast on Wednesday and Friday every week of the year to remember Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion.  Whereas each Sunday becomes a “Little Easter” where we celebrate the Resurrection with a feasting day.  This ongoing cycle of fasting and feasting continues all throughout the year, and doesn’t just end with Lent.  If you are interested in fasting beyond this little campaign, and would like to make it a serious discipline in your life, I encourage you to take a look at the ancient calendar of the Church and join the tradition of Christianity throughout time to establish a cycle of fasting and feasting.  It is incredibly rewarding and it teaches us to always remember that our lives revolve around Christ, and He is our focus.

Daily Challenge: Find a Church calendar, what can you learn from it? How can a cycle of fasting and feasting help teach us about Jesus and His Church?

Day 33: Matthew for the Unroe Family

Our Goal is to raise $400 for Matthew… GOAL MET! We have raised $556 today!

We have met our goal for Matthew but the other two children being adopted with him have not met their goals!  We are still over $400 away from the Unroe’s total goal!! If you are considering giving please still do and help these kiddos home!

TOTAL GOAL: $299 to go!

Today (for the third day) we are fundraising for the Unroe family!  This amazing family just last year adopted five children from Reece’s Rainbow.  They are now going back for three more!  We are fundraising for all three of their precious gifts from God and today is the last day!  Here is their family’s story…

“We had just gotten back with our newest five kids when we felt God calling us to go right back. I was driving down the road one day and was talking to God about it and about how if He’d give us a year I could have the funds saved back up to make the process much EASIER. I just felt Him say to me “the cross wasn’t EASY, but I did it for you”. I went home and started figuring out what needed to be done to go back. It was a short time later that God showed us “who” and at that point I would not have dared to “wait”. Our kids need out of there and they need out quickly. They are already loved and adored here, but they have no idea what that even means. When they arrive home, we will have 21 children, but we are just as excited (maybe more so because we know more now) as we were when child #1 was on the way.”

The last Unroe child we are fundraising for is their son, Matthew.  Poor Matthew is very badly contracted up.  (Muscle contract when children are made to lie in cribs all day long without any chance to get up or move.  After years of this, the muscles stiffen and become unable to flex properly.)  He is bedridden completely and weighs only 18 pounds at age 9.  To give you an idea of how terrible his situation is, a couple of months ago when we went in for a check up, my six month old baby weighed 19 pounds.  Matthew was a typical child until the age of four.  Violent abuse from his birth father caused him to slip into a coma, afterwards he was placed in this orphanage where he has been profoundly neglected and left to sit in a crib with almost no human contact.

Matthew needs out quickly!  His situation is severe, and he very badly needs to get home.  But his family can only move as quickly as they have the funds to do so.  Please let us help them get to their children as soon as possible!

Make a Tax Deductible Gift

or…

Go here to learn how to enter our giveaway.

Below is our daily devotion on fasting. Go here to learn more about our devotion and Lenten journey.

*****

Our Daily Lenten Devotion

Fasting Rule 33: No more cliches! 

Daily Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3

Weekly Memory Verse: Hebrews 12:1-7

Proverbs is such a poetic and insightful book, and this is a beautifully written passage.  I am not going to do too much elaborating on it today, so I would encourage you to go back and read it twice.  After all, who better to give a good devotional thought than God Himself?  These devotions are meant to be helps for you on your fasting journey, but my advice and encouragement can only go so far.  You know how people get annoyed by the tired old cliches?  I would hate to go back and count how many of those cliches I have used for my fasting rules!  And, with only a week left to go… I do wonder how annoyed you all are by my tired old sayings.  So I will spare you today.

In the end, witty remarks and finding encouragement in others only goes so far before you just have to do it!  Like we have been discussing all week, cling to your Savior and He will provide the strength you need.  I would encourage you to take all of the wisdom (if any) you have gleaned through these devotions and just be intentional about implementing them today.  Fast, and do it purposefully and consciously.  Read the Scripture passage in our devotion carefully and thoughtfully.  Work on the memory verse, pray throughout the day.  Simply bask in this relationship we have been gifted with in our God.  No need for more witty (or not so witty) sayings and cliches.  Simply be, do the work He has given you and trust that He is giving you the strength to do it.

Daily Challenge: Fast intentionally today.