Chores!

Someone on my Reece's Rainbow group asked about chores, so I thought I would share one of my favorite gifts from my husband! Last year for Mother's Day he made me this awesome chore chart. It has worked great. I think it is important for kids to be active participants in a family, especially in a larger family! They are going to need to do these things once they are on their own, so it is teaching life skills as well as helping a busy mom keep her sanity. Isn't my hubby the best?

Eight is Enough?

My husband said I need to change the name of my blog as I am no longer "just a mom of seven". I am now an expectant mama to kiddo number 8! I don't know why I haven't learned to expect the unexpected. We were confident that our family was complete, but surprise, surprise....a few days ago I came across the picture of a beautiful little boy and my heart melted. This little one had been waiting for so long, and he was in desperate need of a family or he faced a hopeless future. I wrestled over what the Lord was asking of me, I forwarded his picture to friends and pleaded for a family to come forward. I just could not stop thinking about him, and I knew I had to approach my hubby for a discussion (surely he would talk some sense into me!). No "perfect" moment presented itself, and finally I could contain it no longer and burst into tears at the breakfast table, sharing the plight of this precious little one. Within hours we were both sure that little R is our son. So it is with great excitement (and honestly some fear and trembling) that we introduce our newest son! We covet your prayers as this adoption will be our biggest leap of faith. R is in Eastern Europe and this adoption will be the most expensive and require the most extensive travel. We are putting our trust in the Lord to make all the details come together as only He can. If you are prompted to assist us financially, you can make tax deductible donations to our adoption fees at:http://www.reecesrainbow.com/familysponsorshipnew.htm

Red Letters

So, I received my free books and read the first one, Red Letters-Living a Faith that bleeds. Just the full title will make some uncomfortable, and really that's the point. The author intends to prick your heart and make you aware of some pretty unpleasant realities about the HIV pandemic, because the whole idea is to get the reader to respond. As Christians we are called to more than warming a space on a pew on Sunday mornings, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. One day we will face our savior, and we will be accountable for what we did/failed to do in response to the horrible injustices around us. The author, Tom Davis, ends the book by giving us some very simple, pretty painless ways to begin to respond to the HIV crisis.
While reading this book, I was reminded of Kay Warren, who spoke at an orphan care conference that I attended in May(Christian Alliance for Orphans). She spoke about being "fully surrendered" to the Lord, which means opening yourself up to caring about the things that are closest to His heart. Once we are surrendered, we are then able to become "seriously disturbed" by the injustices around us (such as HIV, extreme poverty, orphans...). We then become "gloriously ruined" for Him and for those issues at the very heart of our heavenly father. Have you been "gloriously ruined" for a cause of the Father's?

Free Book Offer!

Why not start off your summer reading with 2 free books? Check out this link for information:
http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2008/06/how-can-i-get-c.html Tom Davis is the author of Fields of the Fatherless, which is an excellent book and a must read! The Bible is very clear about our responsibility to care for the most vulnerable. Truly, this is at the very heart of our heavenly father. Jesus says in the Bible that he will not leave us as orphans, but will come to us.

Pure and faultless religion is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.
(James 1:27 NIV)

Happy Father's Day!

I wanted to wish all the Dads out there a very Happy Father's Day! The holiday is also a reminder to me of those precious ones who are without a father this father's day. 143 million orphans. Wow. I know the numbers are staggering, but if we just start by reaching out to one. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, and the Bible is clear that the church has a responsibility to respond to this plight. Please prayerfully consider what the Lord is asking of you. I wanted to share a link to a YouTube video that I think is moving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJmRPdogf7U

I love this quote:

If you think you are too small to make a difference, you have never spent the night with a mosquito. -Saying in Kenya