Summer fun in the Creek

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We had an awesome time yesterday at our good friends Ben and Elle’s birthday parties yesterday. Mingo Creek is so much fun!

Avah’s first time in the creek was fun. She couldn’t understand why I said it was okay to get muddy and wet. Fun times!


Mia isn’t a huge outdoorsy type.. But she can do it. As long as her dress doesn’t get wet!;)


Mia being adorable.


I got this.. Mama. She kept saying.;)


Love my big family, homeschooling friends.:)


No one held back.


Paul and Ben… Were serious about this creek business.


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Struggling

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I am struggling right now.

I am seeing and hearing so much negativity towards people wanting to make Radical decisions to follow Christ.

From Christians.

Radical decisions are hard enough the way it is. But to have other Christians ignore, gossip and tell you your crazy doesn’t help.

However I don’t feel like these people realize Satan is using them so actively to discourage another from what God wants them to do.

So here is my advice (my blog.. Don’t want it .. Don’t read it.;))

1. Ask yourselves these questions.
-are you jealous that you don’t have the faith to make this decision?
– why can you not respect what others do and pray for them?
– what are you teaching your children?

2. Pray for them.

3. Look for your radicalness.. That fully consumes you and keeps you on your knees.

4. Don’t knock it until you try it.

5. Don’t shatter someone elses chance of a family by trying to talk them out of it.

6. And when all else fails.. Be quiet. If you have nothing else to say.. Say nothing at all.

Because hello… Look up statistics on a child becoming Christians if they stay in an orphanage…. They don’t…
Adoption is one of the biggest answers to modern day slavery and human trafficking.
-Matthew 25:40

Fan or Follower…

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I know you might say that I am hormonal…or grump..or stressed…or overwhelmed. But I dont think that is it.

I am sad.

I am saddened by this world.

I cry.

I cry because people dont realize what is happening, or is that they do know what is happening but arent doing enough?

I cry… Where is the church?? Where are we? We want to add on gymnasiums and have outlandish social activities … For what??? How is this glorifying God?
Are we fans of Jesus or followers? This is the bible study we are doing on Sunday morning at our congregation. I pray that I am a follower. I want to fight this fight with my entire being.

Thats where I feel I am…I am not doing enough.

Did you go to sleep warm tonight? With more than 10 blankets in your house? Warm pajamas? Full stomachs? Watched your big screen before you fell asleep? Downloaded your kids pictures onto your laptop before falling into blissful sleep because you know your choices for breakfast are aplenty? Guilty times 10 here……

I hate Disney World. There I said it..does it hurt your feelings? I am sorry Mickey Mouse. No not really. I hate it. Will I probably go there? I dont know because I am a selfish American and thats the place to be, right. IF you dont take your kids there you arent giving them what every American child DESERVES and has THE RIGHT too. Forget about those North Korean children who are fighting over the kernel of corn out of the cow pattie over there.

I would rather be holding my friend Amanda’s little boy who was beat into a coma by his birth father. tell him i am sorry some office worker deemed him ready to care for him. i want to hold these children and look into their eyes and tell them how sorry I am that millions of dollars go to support Gay marriage or to purchase Iphones (yes I said it..and I have an Ipad and Ipod) GUILTY…

I keep thinking…we will or should be ‘done’I am tired. My laundry is …excuse me…has EXPLODED. we may have to add on again…OH but wait..have you seen the pictures of the orphanges…where there are 100’s of babies in one room…with only a few caretakers….!!! I think not….

Stepping off my soapbox…dont worry I will be back.

Online Fundraising for your Adoption

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Since I have been in the adoption world since 2010…not long…but I have seen so many fundraisers come across my Facebook newsfeed that could be so much better! I do not want to step on anyone’s toes. But I want to help….
 
This is my advice on having online fundraisers. Ignore if you want.
 
Online Auctions:
 
-Offer incentive. Such as for sharing your auction with others, give them a chance on some sort of giveaway. Examples: an iPad mini, an iPad, a camera, kindle fire..whatever. Plan to take this out of your earnings. Just having people share this is HUGE in the amount of money you will make.
 
 
-Offer items people WANT or NEED. At a price they afford!! start prices low. every time a person bids, all their friends can see it. you aren’t giving it away. you are simply getting more exposure with low prices. Example: A 31 bag… starting bid $6… i bet 10 friends would bid $1… easily. Start a little friendly competition. Price easily exceeds what you were hoping. However, starting bid $25 …2-3 friends may start bidding. Lose the exposure and the friendly competition. I can NOT express the importance of this above. I have helped many people with their auctions. This is the number one thing I see causing so many failed auctions.

Offer services. Not the ‘junk’ you did not sell at a garage sale. We all have friends that are direct sale reps for something. Have a party. Get the free stuff you earn and auction it off. My wonderful friend Rebekah had a Premier Jewerly party and gave me ALL of her free jewerly. It made over a $1,000 and because of some other fabulous donors; we made close to $4,000.

 
-Offer chances on your giveaway for every single bid. Increments of $1. Don’t believe..check out this auction….https://www.facebook.com/#!/BringingHomeOurChinaCuties
 
-Post photos of the children you are adopting.
 
Puzzle Fundraisers
 
Okay this is an awesome one. Have a puzzle made of your child you are adopting. The person purchasing the puzzle piece gets there name on the back of the puzzle piece. A 250 puzzle piece at $20 a piece would let you earn over $5,000!!! Yes $5,000!!!!

BUT…..

 
-offer a large incentive.
-offer a small incentive
-offer both
 
I have seen so many cute ideas with these puzzle fundraisers.
 
1.On Mother’s day, purchase a puzzle piece in your mother’s name or a grandmothers’s name.
2. Purchase a puzzle piece in memory of someone.
3. When putting the puzzle together, put the pieces of your child’s face on LAST so you can the progress of the puzzle. Post actual photos of the progress of your puzzle.
 
Know Your Friends
 
This is hard for me to type. But you will see who your true friends are. BUT be a friend. Bid on others auctions. Buy chances. Donate. Whatever….
 
Again, treat others as you want to be treated.
 
 
 

~Top Rules For My Christian Life~

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We’ve all got rules that we live by. Consciously or not. Some of them empower us and some restrict us to a life that we don’t really want or enjoy. I always get asked about my beliefs; the ‘life rules’ which I do my best to live by. I say “do my best”, because I fail…fail miserably… to live up to them on a regular basis and am a work in progress.

Here’s some of my ‘Life Rules’:

1. Trust and Follow God. Sounds easy and of course this is everyone’s first rule of life right. But I mean do it. Trust HIM. Follow HIM to unimaginable places. HE will rock you to your core.

2. When everyone throws in the towel…dive in harder. Do what everyone else is tired of. It will motivate you and then others.

3. Finish whatever you start. Everyone is great at starting things but few are great at finishing.

4. Avoid energy suckers. This explains itself…

5. Make the tough decisions. Most people would rather someone or something else make the tough decision for them. Success is a choice.

6. Change what you can and don’t worry about what you can’t.

7. Don’t be a critic. You’ve got enough of your own issues and weaknesses to work on. People who constantly criticize others are typically insecure. Avoid that like the plague.

8. Don’t make excuses, make plans. Stop talking about it. Start creating it.

9. Invest into others in a practical way. Be generous with your time, your knowledge, your skills, your money and your love. The best return on investment has nothing to do with money.

10. Don’t base your expectations for your future, on your past. Too many people are hostages to their sinful past, so they simply create a sinful future. Ask for forgiveness and MOVE on.

11. Get uncomfortable on a regular basis. Take risks. Physically, emotionally and psychologically.‘Safe’ is boring and unrewarding. ‘Safe’ will not get us to heaven.

12. Don’t spend your life waiting for the ‘right time’. It is always the right time. If you’re breathing, it’s the right time.

13. Live, laugh, learn and love. While many walk around with the world on their shoulders, choose to be different. Choose to live. Choose laughter. Choose learning. Choose LOVE. Choose to be that person.

There’s no right or wrong with this stuff because we all need to find our own truth and we all need to choose how we live our life.

We must choose to be that person….that is not lukewarm. Be HOT…..Go for it. Be what God created….Be his image.

God’s Girls

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Literally… These are God’s Girls.


And I got the blessing of spending the day with these girls and taking them to the God’s Girls youth rally in Pittsburgh.


The theme was transformation. It was an awesome theme for young christian girls and older for that matter.


This was Camye’s first year and she was positively giddy!


They released live butterflies to symbolize releasing the sin in their lives.


Love these girls!


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A moment in time…

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Do you ever have those moments when God just tells you something? Just says it..
Yea.. Me either…
Unless it is about WHO he has planned as my child. And he does.. For some reason he lays it on my heart like nothing ever before.
Almost like God knows if he doesn’t shove it right in my face.. I would miss it. He knows me so well.
In the same hour of meeting Avah, we met our son Robert Cade HyunSoo. He was screaming….crying…he was hurt. He was lieing on his back …just wailing. No one was going to get him. Kenny and I could not take our eyes off of him. A few minutes of his screams and our Korean social worker went and brought him to me. She showed me his scar from a previous surgery and told me he would need a liver. I looked at her and said, “I want him.” I knew it. I just did. He looked back into my eyes….and touched my face. A total and complete GOD moment. The Korean social worker told  me he was on our US adoption agency list. I was in disbelief I had never seen him before. But it was true…he was there just waiting.
I waited for every door to shut. BUT Every single door opened.
Our insurance pays 100% of transplants….
we live near the best liver hospital on the East Coast…
and the biggest obstacle…Korea approved us.
We have six children so it is unbelievable we are approved. Praise GOD!!



I know.. He is adorable!!!!! The first two photos I found on a Korean blog!! What a blessing!:)
And yes we were ATK yesterday!!
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328 days…

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The amount of days since we have met sweet Avah.

The amount of days since the first time we have laid our eyes on our third son.

Tomorrow could be the day we go ATK.. To officially begin our wait.


Here is his newborn picture. He is almost 3 1/2 years old now… It’s time for his mama to come and get him.

Thanks to some great stalking skills I found this picture on a blog advertising Natural Plan milk. They were kind enough to donate to his orphanage.

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