Last Summer Hurrah

The kids were invited on a last minute trip to the mountains with some close friends of ours.  We don't typically allow sleepovers of any kid, but we know this family well and felt comfortable letting them go. They stayed at a gorgeous golf course home in a rural part of the mountains.  They hiked, slide down water falls, and soaked in the God's marvelous beauty.  I'm thankful for all the ways this family has poured so much of their hearts and time into our kids.  They adopted both of their children via an open adoption with regular contact with the kids' biological parents, so I have also enjoyed observing from a parent's perspective the many ways they unconditionally love and support their children as stewards of God's gifts and not as possessors. 

Celebrating Our Independence

Independence Day grows more somber every year as we see the freedoms protected by the U.S. Constitution ignored or overridden by executive orders and justices legislating from the bench.  The gross overreach of each branch of government is unbelievable, yet no one seems to be stopping it.  The corruption is so deep that a life long criminal and proven felon is now on the the Democratic party's choice for POTUS.

But far too many brave men and women fought, suffered, and/or died to set us free, so I will celebrate the spirit of their sacrifice and the hope America offers to suffering people around the world for as long as any remnant of freedom remains, and I will continue voicing my concerns and campaigning against systematic government tyranny until the day I die.

Each year, our neighborhood hosts an Independence Day celebration on our cul-de-sac with grills, potluck, games and movies for the kids, small sparklers and whatever is allowed in our strictly regulated town, and a show the kids put on for the adults.  We live in a very diverse neighborhood in which Americans are the minority, but you would not know it from my pictures.   Most of our neighbors are Hindi, but we also have Arab Muslims, Chinese, and South African neighbors living next to us, but I guess they were note as interested or available to celebrate our American holiday with us.

We hosted two families for a cookout at our house on July 4.  My college roommate and long time friend (we were bridesmaids in each others' weddings) drove over an hour to join us. Their oldest daughter just graduated an will be living a few steps from where we shared an apartment at the same university this fall. She is an exceptional student, home-schooled all through middle and high school, with over 45 college credits obtained through our local community college. She was one of 12 admitted to the design school this year and received the top award across all colleges at the summer enrichment program offered for prospective students.  I wanted to congratulate her in person.

This couple has been fostering two kids (half-siblings who had never met each other and never even knew about each other until they came to live with my friends). These children came with a number of physical, mental, and emotional needs as  children of drug addicts, but their progress has been remarkable, and my friends (who have known suffering more intimately than anyone else on earth in ways that few can possibly comprehend and who will continue to experience suffering as my friend battles her latest diagnosis, MS) are in the process of adopting them permanently.  The work God is doing in their little lives and in my friends' hearts are amazing.  They are very young children, and m my friend is older than I am with MS, but they are persevering.

Her husband just got his first assignment as a Guardian Ad Litem, which is a volunteer role I hope to assume one day when I can find the time to complete the 30 hours of initial training.  He answered questions I had and further confirmed that I God has uniquely gifted me for that type of ministry to orphans, but I'm praying for the right time to begin as my kids are my primary ministry right now, and I keep getting pulled in so many directions with all my many interests and passions.

We invited another family who have two adopted children via open adoptions.  The son's birth mother was recently born again and is on fire for the Lord.  She flew out to meet her biological son for the first time a few weeks prior, so I was eager to hear how that went. These parents are amazing to me in their openness with the adoption. They are not the least bit possessive over their children, seeing themselves as stewards over God's children for a time and then will let them fly wherever they wish to go when they are grown. Their daughter wants to move out west where her birth mother lives, and they are supportive of any dream she has. That astounds me, as I know I would be so jealous, but their love is unconditional, Christlike love - the purest form.

My husband thought a flag cake was disrespectful, so he went with a fireworks theme instead.  I loved the freedom this year of watching someone else shuck the corn in my place.  The kids have been very interested in cooking this summer.  Our daughter preparing most of our meals all summer long!

The two families had much to talk about and exchanged useful resources.  It was a nice pairing, and I'm so glad it worked out with our guests not knowing each other at all at first. We talked for four hours straight, losing track of time, so we arrived at the fireworks display just in time for the finale, having missed most of the show. Oh well....I'll take edifying conversation over the most elaborate fireworks display any day.

Cheese burgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, chicken, corn, baked beans, vegetables, fruit, cookie cake, and S'mores!

Access Ministry - Feb 2016

My daughter and I continue to take turns in Access Ministry as buddies to Z__, an adopted child from Taiwan with cerebral palsy and a number of other related issues (partially blind, has no independent mobility as is only able to use one limb, her left arm and hand).  Her parents have adopted three other children from Uganda (one with HIV) in addition to their two biological children (one with epilepsy).  They advocate for orphans and adoption around the world and helped start our special needs ministries at our church and at churches around the nation. It is such a privilege to work with this young couple and their precious children with big hearts.

When her family adopted her, the doctors looked at her brain scans and told them that there is little should would be ever be able to do for herself, but when I see her, I'm amazed at all the things she can do and in ways few others can. I never thought I could work with children or that children could like me, but when her face lights up upon seeing me walk in the room, all my fears, self-doubt, and excuses instantly disappear. She gave me the encouragement and inspiration I needed to teach children at our kids' school. No one has done that for me like she has. She remembers details of my life that only the closest family members would recall, and she delights to introduce me to her classmates as "friend". When the other children see how she feels about me, they ask to be my friend, too. I don't deserve your friendship, sweet Z, but I sure do treasure it. This drawing we made today was her idea, and I liked it so much I asked HER (b/c she is a smartphone pro) to take a picture of it with my phone.