The Raft Trip - Memorial Box Monday

This story happened a little over a month ago...

we have a dear group of friends that we have known forever.

The guys went to college together,

we all dated around the same time (many double dates!),

were in each others weddings...

have rejoiced over new babies, wept over lost ones, prayed and prayed and prayed together over the years.

They are the friends who make it seem like no time has gone by and you can pick up right where you left off no matter how long it has been or what has happened in between...

I am such a blessed woman to have them in my life!

Well, a few years ago we started trying to camp together once a year.

This year we got together in Eastern, WA...a whole gaggle of us!

Four couples and nine children age 8 and under!

We cooked and talked and laughed and chased wild children and talked and talked some more...

all in this great campground nestled in by a sweet meandering river.

In the planning of the trip the guys got a wild idea to bring our raft, the one our friends filled up for us...in our living room last Christmas!

 

The river was a really mellow one...class I and II, it looked like something one would float in an inner tube.

So, the guys pumped up the raft and went down for a test float. They brought the "big" girls with them and it went so well that Ravenna was asking Doug, "Daddy when are the big rapids going to happen?"

So...we decided it was time for the Mamas and little ones to have a turn.

We had our friend Will at the helm and four Mamas with 6 little kids age 6-3.

Another Mom and I were in the front with Parker and Georgia and her son.

It was all totally calm.

So calm that we had the kids stand up and do a dance for the people we were passing on the shore,

so calm that I let Georgia dangle her feet over the side...

Totally calm and fun,

Except for one little corner...

Let me say that we have learned a lot from this trip, all kids DID have on helmets and life jackets but the one thing we did not have was a metal frame for our raft. Never again will we raft without one...but we just didn't know how important it would be.

So laughing and joking we began to round a corner of the river...

...it had a giant log jam on one side,

you know the kind that has about 12 logs all criss-crossed over and under each other at crazy angles?

 (the one we hit was bigger and more spread out)

Still, even seeing it I had no idea how fast the water was running on that particular corner.

Will told us to paddle backwards,

He yelled it loud...and louder.

Then it all happened.

We did not make the corner.

The raft hit a huge rootball straight on.

Did I mention that my friend and I were in the front?

there was a pause...

and then the boat buckled.

Water rushed over the side.

I looked to my right just as Georgia slipped out of the boat.

She was up to her neck in the water and going under...right under the root ball...fast.

I grabbed her life jacket and ripped her up and literally threw her to my friend behind me...

Just in time to see Parker up to his chin going under.

I grabbed him too and threw him as well.

Everything then happened in a blur.

All of the kids were evacuated to the closest log...miraculously they all sat still.

They were terrified and had incredibly fast rushing water flying right past them in front and behind as their feet barely dangled out of the reach of the water.

That is when I looked down and realized my foot was pinned in the raft.

I looked next to me and my friend was pinned up to her knees, both legs.

We could not move an inch and I could feel the pressure getting tighter and tighter by the second.

We had no idea what would happen, water was filling the raft and pouring over the side.

I honestly thought, "well Lord, this may be it."

There was this weird calm pause.

Then Will was back in the boat and somehow he reached down trying to pull the pinned part of the raft apart...and miraculously my foot slipped free and so did my friend's legs!

We scrambled onto the log with the kids.

I looked at my friend Pamela and said, "We need to pray." We prayed thanking God that He was there, praying that He would keep us safe and asking Him to be glorified in what was happening."

As soon as we said "amen"...literally the second we stopped praying,

the log broke.

I looked over and saw all 6 kids sink waist deep into the water.

Pamela screamed, "We have to get the kids off of here!"

We all sprang into action. The adults were sort of spread out at the front and back of the kids. So the middle section of kids had no help from adults.

They had to climb across another giant root ball...like rock climbing moves. One slip of the foot and they would fall into rushing water and be swept under the log jam.

Miraculously each and every child made it across...I still have no idea how.

Then, we came to the next log.

We had to cross two sections of waist deep (on me) rushing water to get them to a big log (as high as my shoulders), get them up on it and then somehow hoist them onto the high bank beyond and to safety.

I waded in and started hauling kids, knowing if they slipped from my hands, again they would be washed down under the logs.

Quickly we realized they could not sit on the high log alone. I somehow got on it (no idea how) and my friend Pamela climbed miraculously up onto the bank that was about to her shoulders. Somehow, as another friend ferried kids, I hoisted, pushed and Pamela pulled....we got every single child to safety.

Looking back it ONLY could have been the hand of God that held every foot and hand in place, that kept every child calm, that released my foot and Cheri's legs...only God that caused me to look right as Georgia and then Parker slipped under the water rushing to where we would not have been able to save them.

I do not know why it had to happen but I do know that it was only God that saved that day from complete tragedy.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?

  My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth. 

 

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber; 

 indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 

 the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm —
    he will watch over your life; 

 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

In my Memorial box? A little piece of wood that looks like a log to remind me that no matter how much it feels like my world is shifting around, God will keep my footsteps firm.

To read another amazing story of what God has done...check out Linny's Blog she's the incredible woman who started Memorial Box Mondays :)

 

Faithful (or a Memorial Box story I don't want to forget)...

                   “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
   with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
   and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
   he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
   and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
   like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
   and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
   Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:10-12

  So there we sat...eye to eye and not sure what to do, Doug & I last Thursday morning. We had just gotten word that his work was removing his stipend (because we had moved to Oregon). This meant $200 had to come out of our budget somewhere. Where could it come from? We hardly eat out, we don't buy drive-through coffee, clothes from thrift stores, we had already cut in every spot we could think of. The one spot where we could draw from was giving and we just did not want to do that, we did not want our needs to stop filling the bellies of those who need it so much more. So what could we do?
      We decided to wait and held each other and prayed, "Lord, you know our hearts...we don't want to stop giving but we don't know what to do, please show us the way."
     ...three hours later, I'm making dinner and the phone rings. It is the kids school calling to see if I would be interested in interviewing to be the librarian! The pay??? Would cover exactly our need plus what would be needed to have Georgia in preschool there too.
    I am utterly amazed and so excited to step in to what God has for me there. I never in a million years thought I would be a librarian :) But I love kids and I love books and I absolutely love the school. I get to be in my kids school, in their classrooms (which will be all in a row next to each other)...God is SO good. He does it, He really, really does take care of every need when our hearts are poured out to Him.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows...

Matthew 10:29-31

The home that God brought

  I have been meaning to write about this for over a month now but life has been so busy that I just haven't felt like I had the time or mental capacity to do it...but I don't want to forget the amazing things that God has done!
   For years, probably 6 years we have had a love for the Hood River area. We have tried three different times on our own steam and resources to move to the area, to buy something, rent something, anything! There has always just been something about this area. But every time we have put a foot forward God made it clear that the timing was not right. We even, at one point made an offer on a big fancy house in the mountains only to thankfully have another offer come in that allowed us to bow out at the last moment...and to finally find peace at the closed door.

   So, when we were driving back from the orphanage last December and I felt like God was telling me to do two things, I kinda shook my head. The two things were: go back to the orphanage and bring others and to pray about moving to Hood River. By this time Doug had been transfered to Hood River for work, our church was there and Ravenna and Parker went to Chrsitian school in Hood River. We had become involved in a small group for families with young kids at church that we absolutely love and mostof those friendships again were in Hood River. It was about 45 minutes from where we lived and we spent hours upon hours in the car driving up and down the Columbia Gorge getting to and from Hood River. I'm not complianing about the drive itself because it looks like this: 

We absolutely loved where we were, especially being just a few mintues from grandparents but, more and more God kept putting it on our hearts to pray about moving to Hood River. So we decided to just pray, that's it, not search, not push, just pray and watch what God would do. We didn't want this to be about us forcing some sort of decision.

So, after a short time, Doug was at work when a colleague walked up and asked his advice about renting a house out, "Because we are thinking about moving and renting out our house in Hood River." Hmmm...Doug listened and explained that we might be interested and a few days later drove with the guy to see the house only to discover that it was literally right next door to friends of ours from our small group! I had never seen the house but told Doug that I was sold!

Then, I started to worry about a few things:

* We needed to rent our current house out (which we had never done)...and our current town was much smaller with a slower rental market

* It had been a long time since we had rented a house and, this seems so petty but I love color on walls. I started to worry and pray about this. Knowing it was a rental house (that I had not seen but had said yes to) I was trying really hard to be ok with the idea of all white walls (Doug couldn't remember if they had color). Seriously this is such a small thing but for some reason it really affects me)

So, we kept prayng and quickly found a sweet woman who wanted to rent our house. I madly started packing and 2 weeks before we were supposed to move we got a call from this woman saying, "I have great news! I found a different house to rent!"

We were crushed. we had 2 weeks to find new renters. How in the world was that going to happen in our small town where the market was so slow????

Doug and I had a quick phone conversation and he went to call our future landlord. I prayed and worried and prayed some more...and got this call back from Doug, "You'll never believe it, just 5 minutes before I called our landlord a man walked by his desk at work and said he was thinking about moving to Stevenson (our town). He would like to take a look at the house tomorrow." I emailed him some old pictures I had taken of the house for Georgia's dossier and went about my day.

Well...the next day came and he took a quick look at the house while I was away taking Georgia to preschool. I happened to mention the whole thing to my friend who owns the preschool and asked her to pray.

To say we were hesitant about finding another renter would be an understatement. We prayed for someone that we could trust. Only God could do all of that in such a short time frame.

The very next day I got a call from that friend saying, "You'll never guess what call I got...one of my best friends just called asking me to be a reference for her in renting your house!"

Yep. The guy who just happened to walked by our landlord's desk was married to one of Georgia's preschool teachers best friends. Her sister happens to be one of the most amazing chrsitian women who taught preschool to our older two kids!

The couple who are now renting are house are an amazing Christian couple. The wife said yes to the house because she saw a picture (one of those old ones) of the girl's closet door. They have chalkboard paint on them.

Can you see it???

She said "yes" because the door had "Jesus" written on it. She just knew it was the right place! They have met with their pastor and are planning on starting a small group right in our old home!

And here I sit...in a house so beautiful.... it was owned by a woman who was an artist! Every wall has incredible color on it, colors that match our artwork, our furinture...it is crazy. The girl's room is a light shade of pink even though they never had kids! And the yard is whimsical and wonderful. Parker sits out there and plays and watches the trees blow while Georgia stands at the fence yelling "Sahale!!!!!!! Sahale!!!!!" to our friend's daughter on the other side. We feel like we have time to slow down and be a family, to deeply be involved with friend and with church, to just savor our kids right now where they are at.

All of this just stuns me. After all of the times that we tried to move, tried to push and make things happen. God had planted the idea in our hearts but we tried to take control. When we finally stepped back and just watched and prayed, He made it all happen without us really moving a finger.

Memorial Box Monday- Bubble Gum Pink

     The other day Ravenna asked to see some pictures. As I looked at these pictures so many emotions flooded my heart. I realized that I have not written about the biggest miracle He has done in our life. Just a few weeks before I had met Georgia for the first time in China. She was bright eyed and oh so weak. Time after time I would hold her and watch as she slowly turned blue and struggled to breathe...then prayed and prayed until she turned pink again. We had been told that we would have to risk her life to save it, that she may not survive the flight to the US. In the week at the hospital so far we had watched her vitals crash and people flying into the room over and over again. Now, the day before her open heart surgery we sat and heard each and every professional in charge of different parts of her surgery describe what would happen to her tender body and just how many rsiks there were. They had never done this surgery on a child this old, her heart had been working the other way for so long that it might really struggle to work in a new way. She was in such a volatile place medically that just the medicine that would put her to sleep could send her heart into an "unrecoverable" tailspin. The surgery itself had risks and they said the recovery would be "A white knuckle ride, just as dangerous as the surgery itself." We wept and prayed, begged really that our priceless daughter would make it through all of these hurdles. I remember kissing her little blue fingers and toes over and over again as she slept.

    The morning of the surgery made me feel like I wanted to take Georgia and just run, run away anywhere but there, walk any hallway but the one to surgery. If only I could lay down on that surgery bed instead, I would have done it in a second. But hand her off we did and the time of waiting was like none I had ever experienced before. I have never felt such emptiness as when we got the call that her heart had been stopped and she was now on the heart and lung bypass machine. Nothing was right knowing that her heart was not beating. Through it all, I also have never felt the presence of the Lord the same....it was as if we were being carried, completely wrapped up by the Holy Spirit not left alone at all. Again and again I heard the Lord whisper, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

     Oh and how He did!!!!!! I will never, ever forget walking in to Georgia's ICU room. The first thing I noticed was this:

beautiful bubble gum pink toes!

The next few days were a bit of a rollercoaster but not once did the crash cart have to come in and the nurses kept saying, "She is sailing through, we cannot believe it!"

If she could not see me she was frantic but just being close or holding her hand would calm her down.

I had worried so much about such a huge surgery so soon agfter adoption would cause major damage to bonding....my sweet girl was what the staff described as "severly frantic" on the higest levels of medication until the day that they could place her in my arms....then she slept peacefully for hours.

We walked a road that I never would have thought we could walk and honestly, we did not walk it...we were carried by the very best hands of all.

He really can do ANYTHING even when it seems to everyone that it cannot be done.

In my Memorial Box???? That caregiver name tag that I wore during Georgia's hospital stay!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

To find out more about Memorial Boxes check out Linny's blog here

Tijuana Angel

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways  

Psalm 91:11

 

 

    

The sun set as we drove the highway towards Tijuana in the pelting rain. We squinted to look for the turnoff sign for the border crossing. As I looked and looked I felt like I was supposed to pray for an angel to be standing right at our turnoff to show us the way. That seemed a bit odd but I prayed for an angel and kept looking for the tiny sign. You see Baja is at it's best of third world charm when it comes to roadsigns. Sometimes you will be looking for a street only to find that a new and different sign has been posted inches in front of it, the sign has fallen down or is just plain gone. So search we did for that one little sign.
      Tijuana has had it's share of trouble right now. We had thought we would get there before sunset but torretial, flash-flood rains had changed that plan. Our choices at this point were to camp near Tijuana (which we had read was not very safe) or to push on through to the border, so on we went.
       The first sign indeed was missing but at the last second we saw a sign further off the road that said San Diego. As we turned off the higway onto the dark and narrow streets Georgia said, "Ew...what's that smell?"  The rains were quickly flooding the Tijuana streets and we could smell raw sewage as it washed down from the hills and pooled in the intersections. We needed to find the border fast if we were going to get out. So we prayed and slowly drove down those now deep dark streets praying again for roadsigns where we needed them.
    I wondered about the angel as we gunned our minivan through one intersection almost as deep as my window, and then we saw another sign for San Diego! So we followed the sign, breathing a sigh of relief thinking we had made it safely to the bright lights of the border, only to realize that we were in the wrong lane. A big cement divider was stuck in the way....we were at the border but now our lane was turning away.
     We knew this was not good, it meant trying to find our way through darkened Tijuana at night with roads that were flooding and closing fast. Again we prayed and searched for roadsigns. We looped around, me frantically looking at maps and Doug looking for street signs. Frustrated, we sat at a red light watching the water pool up in front of us when all of a sudden, there was a rapping on Doug's window!
      A Hispanic man dressed in dingy white and holding newspapers was looking in at us. I thought for sure he wanted to sell us something and my heart raced with fear as Doug rolled down his window. The man looked at us and in English said, "You looking for the border? Turn left now!" The light turned green and we quickly switched lanes while yelling, "gracias!" out the window. Sure enough in another minute we were sitting in the correct lane safely under the bright lights of the border crossing.
        I have so many stories to tell and am editing pictures today but this is the one I woke up thinking about...God cares so much more deeply for every tiny turn in our lives than we could ever imagine. I cannot wait to listen for what He has next!

I Will Rise...

    
 It is only 7pm here and I am ready to crawl in bed with the covers over my head. Today has been so incredibly exhausting on so many levels...but God has not left me. It was grandparents day at Ravenna and Parker's school. Both sets of grandparents are out of town so I went as their 'special friend'...well Georgia and I went because I didn't want to burden her class with the craziness of the monitor without me (I teach at her preschool). All went well with just one little glitch. Georgia had woken up with a swollen eyelid, probably from a bug bite or something. So I gave her a little Benadryl and she became a total wild child! Yep, begging from the back row of the auditorium to go on stage and sing, running up and down the hallways, writhing in my arms, hiding under the table in Parker's classroom while also yelling, "I hungry!" over and over again.

    When we left Georgia promptly feel asleep. We had a few hours until we needed to pick the bigger kids up so I drove and drove and prayed and prayed. I cried my eyes out. I spent most of the drive talking with God about how it has felt like storm after storm for almost a year now, that I just want Doug home and Georgia well. I wept over all of the kids that I have heard about who are waiting and waiting for families, for the faces of those I do not even know who are laying somewhere right now alone and not knowing how incredibly valued they are. It all just felt like too much.

    In the midst of it, while driving past field after field dusted with snow and surrounded with trees flaming out their final beauty of fall, I kept hearing the Lord whisper the same word...eternity...

     Honestly, I did not want to hear. I even spoke out loud, "Lord, I know that everything will be perfect in eternity but Lord it feels so dark now." I looked back at Georgia's chubby cheeked beauty as she snored and it just felt like too much that she could be taken from us. Finally, as we drove back down from the mountain I asked God to show me, give me a glimpse of eternity of what was better. I just needed that glimpse today.

     I picked up the kids and we ran to the store deciding to get stuff to decorate the Christmas tree tomorrow (we use a charlie brown tree out of our back yard each year ) and started on our way home. During the time we were in the store Georgia had 4 episodes (6 total today). During 2 of them she looked at me solemnly and said, "Push the button Mama" before she showed any signs of one coming on. They shook me to the core. I hate the idea of her feeling anything uncomfortable or any fear. Knowing that she knows makes it all the more real to me.

     As we began driving Parker piped up, "Mama, I want to hear the No More Sorrow, No More Pain song!" He has this astonishing love for really lyrically deep songs (usually about heaven) and has since he was a tiny baby and could just use sign language for 'more' to show his choices. He also makes up his own names for songs that correspond to his favorite lyrics in the song. So I scanned and scanned my cds for the whole 30 minutes drive listening to partial song after partial song trying to find "No More Sorrow NO More Pain."

     We finally found it just as we were coming in to our home town...it is Chris Tomlin's 'I Will Rise'. Tears immediately flooded down my face as the kids pumped their arms in the air yelling "Yes! Yes! This is it!" I listened to this over and over when in the hospital with Georgia during her open heart surgery. They all sang along at the top of their precious lungs giggling and cheering. Remember how I asked for a glimpse of eternity? Here are the lyrics:

There's a peace I've come to know

Though my heart and flesh may fail

There's an anchor for my soul

I can say, it is well

Jesus has overcome

And the grave is overwhelmed

The victory is won

He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, No More pain

I will rise on eagle's wings

Before my God fall on my knees

and rise, I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near

When this darkness breaks to light

And the shadows disappear

And my faith shall be my eyes

As the kids begged for the song a second time I hit repeat and looked back to see Georgia drenched in sweat having a major episode...and the clash of the two things somehow made some sense.

I called the Cardiologist after these episodes. He had not seen them yet but said that once he did he felt lie he could make a definitive call on whether her episodes are Cardiac in nature or if she may be having seizures...

This weary Mama thanks you for your prayers tonight...

 

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. 

 

Isaiah 40:31

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!!!

           So...we have a winner!

and I am SO excited about who random.org picked!!!!!!

It truly tickles my socks :)

But before spilling the beans I want to also share some really amazing stuff that is going on

Like the silent auction for the Rippee family who are foster parents in China for children with special needs

and  We Are Grafted In (truly about the coolest new place for adoptive families) has highlighted some fundraising families here

 and there is a new parenting magazine that it helping 15 adoptive families. Just by leaving a comment under their article you raise $2 towards their adoption!!!!!!

    Why not spend a few minutes over coffee and bless these folks? Seriously, nothing out of your pocket except a minute or two!

   Check it out Here!

and now........drumroll.....

The winner is Michele from He Moves Mountains!!!!

Michele, can you email me and I will get you the gift certificate code.

   Have a great day!!!!!


WAIT!!!!!

Before you click away...

I just read this and it is WELL worth your time

Francis Chan and his family have decided to take a year off and go on a journey to serve around the world

his wife wrote this about some of their first experiences in India with their small children...

An update from Lisa Chan:




This is just a short update to let you all know we are alive and well. I can't thank God enough for the journey over here... it was SO much easier than I expected. The little kids were awesome, traveling for well over thirty hours (lay-overs included).



The people of India are so happy to have visitors, especially little children. Zeke and Ellie are a spectacle, when people want pictures, they want it with them! At first Zeke wasn't too keen on the ladies squeezing his cheeks... but he is "suffering for Jesus" now. Ellie asks me, "Mom, why are they so happy to see us?" She has also asked me, "Mom, why are there people lying in the street?" This is heart breaking to see and explain to a child. The overwhelming amount of poverty has once again cut my heart.



"Today as I was shifting clothes from one suitcase, I was a little sickened by the big pile it made. It was embarrassing to think that so many here would be lucky to have one change of clothes, let alone a change of clothes for every day. Yesterday a Brother here was sharing how the members of his church, who are poor by our standards, care for the neediest. He says in India, the people eat twice a day. Rice is a staple food for them. So as they take out a handful of rice, they also take out a handful and put it in a bag. They do this twice a day for one month at a time, and at the end of the month they bring the bag of rice to church, which is then given to the poor. It made me think, there is always a way to give. And I was a little ashamed of how many people I've heard say, "I wish I could give to the poor, but I just don't have anything to give after my bills are paid". Really?







Three days ago we visited a new “Jesus Well.” It was probably one of the most impactful moments so far, surprisingly. Women and children who live in a slum have no access to clean water. A Jesus Well is a ministry of GFA, where they bring running water to these people who have nothing. Francis got to be the first to pump the water as the whole little crowd looked on. All four kids took a turn pumping water into the ladies jars, and I couldn't help but think, "Is there anything else I would want my children doing right now?" This is one way to meet a physical thirst and need... but it is a tool to point people to the One who can quench their spiritual thirst forever… so beautiful."
 
You can read more about their journey here.

Memorial Box Monday- Georgia on My mind...

*** Please keep praying! The monitoring company has not been sendign Georgia's recordings to the Cardiologist so we are stuck in a holding pattern until they do. Georgia had 6 episodes today so far. We just want to figure out what is going on so we can help our girl.***

   This is a quick one because the kids and I have a crummy cold and are cuddling up today :) I woke up struggling a bit this morning as we still have not heard anything back from the Cardiologist (again). To read the latest on Georgia's heart read here. I know the answers will come, just weary of waiting for them.

   We stopped by the Post Office on the way into town to run errands and a little box was there for me. It was from Kelly at Girly Girl Bowtique. I had ordered some bows for the girls and they were in! There is nothing better to pick up my mood than something sweet and frilly and girly! Better than that though....

    Get this!

   Kelly wrote me a note inside the box. While she was making the bows, she was praying for Georgia. Guess what song came on the radio right then?

"Georgia On My Mind"!!!!!!!!!!

This is the 9th time that the Lord has done something like this while someone has been praying for Georgia since all of this heart stuff has been going on! 

Doug sang this song over and over again while playing the piano when we were waiting for Georgia to come home. Reading her note brought back a flood of memories of all of the prayers that God has answered for our little one with her precious heart.. Here again He was reminding me that He surely has Georgia (and the rest of us) on His amazing, compassionate, wonderful mind!

In my Memorial Box????

The note from sweet Kelly!

To read more stories of God's faithfulness in my life Click here

To know more about Memorial Boxes and to read the stories of God's faithfulness to others

Read Here

Memorial Box Monday - Georgia's Warriors

    This morning my heart feels weary. I am back at home alone with the kids and it feels a bit like the movie 'Groundhog's Day'...the monitor sits on the counter, I wait and watch and worry. But...God has been showing up in MIGHTY ways. I do not understand this storm or why we need to walk through such extreme uncertainty that could take our daughter's life at any moment, or not.  You can read about her story more here. What I do know is that God is reaching down and showing us that He is right here.

       I just have to share what God did last week! I am still stunned by it and clinging to the promise that God is mobilizing people to pray for my baby girl.

     On Friday a woman named Susan wrote this to me after reading about Georgia on Linny's blog about prayer requests:

Yesterday, an amazing thing happened ~ the night before, I felt impressed to fast for Georgia, and did so all day yesterday. Friends of mine were driving me to New Orleans airport, and we stopped by Mc Donalds as they wanted something to eat, I declined letting them know that I was fasting. Just prior to Mc Donalds, one of them persisted the reason for my fasting, I explained it was for Georgia and explained a bit about her situation (without bringing up her name).

Arriving in McDonalds, both friends went to order food, while I sat and waited, looking out the window. Then something got my eyes widening in surprise In front of me was a road sign, "Georgia"...

When my friends came to join me at the table, I said to one of them, "remember the reason for me fasting? for a little girl?" She said "yes", I said, "what does this road sign say?" She said, "Georgia" I said, "that's her name!" and she was stunned too... she is a strong christian and has been relying on the Lord (YHWH) for guidance as well.

And what's more... I was carrying with me a backpack the printout of your Memorial Box Monday story, I took it and showed it to my friends, and gave it to them.

   Isn't that amazing?????

It goes on...

She emailed me this today

I wanted to tell you another thing that happened today, I was with a friend, Chuck, we drove to Sacramento, California, to catch a ferry to visit San Francisco for the day, and we were hurrying to catch the ferry, Chuck parked at this car parking lot, and we were standing in the line waiting to buy our tickets, and the place where we were standing, the road sign showed Georgia as well! I have attached a photo of it, so I told Chuck all about it, and we both prayed for your daughter, for wisdom and comfort for you, and wisdom for doctors. Chuck was telling me that there is power when there is two or more people praying together, so I think YHWH (the Lord) wanted me to pray with Chuck for Georgia.

I just stand amazed that the Lord would draw people to pray for our Georgia, to remind them so faithfully...

He also knew that I needed this so much to keep going another day.

Thank you again for your prayers and comments we are still watching and monitoring Georgia's heart. We have recorded 10 'episodes' so far but have not heard anything...
Please keep praying!

Memorial Box Monday- How He Cares for His Precious Ones...

******* Can you tell that I am stressed? I totally wrote this thinking it was Monday...yikes! Keep me away from any serious decisions!*****

    To know more about what is happening with our daughter's heart please reas here
     I just have to write tonight to share what God has done. It is not about Georgia. The monitor did not come yet for her heart so we are still waiting trying to soak up time together in every way that we can while watching her like hawks as she runs and giggles and twirls her way obliviously through her day.
    What I want to share is what God did for another precious little girl. I think He knew that I needed a front row seat on this one to remind me that He cares so deeply and intimately about every detail.
     I get to help do some teaching at Georgia's preschool. It is one of the highlights of my week to be "Teacher Shannon" three mornings a week to 15 beyond adorable little kids. To share as they get excited watching volcanoes of glitter and food coloring erupt all over the place, watch as they pratice their Bible verses, see them learning to share, joke and make friends... and to quietly place my hand on their shoulders and pray for them as we go about our day. This preschool is the only Christian preschool in our county and my friend stepped out last year to open it because she felt led by God to do so. Watching her love these kids and the staff of this place is like watching someone who is right directly in the center of God's will for them...it is stunningly beautiful.
     Well, in getting to know the kids, their stories also start to come out. Some of these stories make it so very clear how much more this preschool is than just a place to learn letters and get pushed on the swings at recess. This place is a haven for some, it is warm and loving and a place where kids get to shed the worries that are far bigger than their little shoulders and melt into the loving hugs that define it. They are prayed over, celebrated and loved.
      I just love watching Georgia in here. She is learning how to make friends. She has one extra special friend and they just love each other. Today she even made sure to wear a shirt with a butterfly because this friend wore one on Monday. They sit by each other, hold hands on the way to the playground and today this girl whispered to me, "I just love Georgia so much."
     This girl just sparkles, she beams as she stands up, shoulders back proudly sharing her Bible verse for the class, you can almost feel her soaking up the love that surrounds her here. Well, on Wednesday, we heard that her dad lost his job and she would not be able to come to preschool anymore (along with two other classmates whose stories I do not want share too much detail about but they despereately need to be here).  We prayed and cried and started making a plan to try to create scholarship money to keep these three kids here. I cannot say it enough, they need a safe place to be.
     The situation has been heavy on my heart since then. I have been praying, talking with churches figuring out how to do an auction, anything to keep these kids...especially this sweet girl because her need was the most immediate.
        Well, this morning I woke up so burdened by Georgia's situation (if you don't know you can read it here) and just begging God to show me that He sees us and cares. I called in to school for something and my friend said, "You just have to hear about _____'s  (the little girl) miracle!"
           The SAME day that the need presented itself, God brought the answer. Another parent came in to the classroom to pick up her son. This boy was about to graduate out and start kindergarten. His mom overheard that this little girl was not going to be able to stay. She didn't even hesitate and said, "You know what, I've already prepaid his year here, just don't reimburse me...I want it to go to that little girl." Just like that! God completely change the story for this precious little girl. He made a way where there was no way.
     I watched she and Georgia comparing the pinks in their shirts today, grinning at each other and could not help but thank God for showing me that He cares even for the little needs of the littlest ones!

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:29-31

Even the hairs on my precious baby girl's head are numbered, watched and counted by God...How much more the beats of her little heart?

In my Memorial Box? A picture I snapped today of those two friends grinning in their little pink shirts.

To find out more about Memorial Boxes and read more stories of what God has done in the lives of others, go to:

Memorial Box Wednesday :) The best surprise of all...

     Happy Wednesday!!!!

Mine has been so wonderful so far...it is my birthday and my wonderful husband snuck out and brought home donuts. He then grabbed the kids and in they came singing with candles in those donuts. Watching Georgia sing "HAPPY TO YOOOOOUUUUU MOMMY!!!!" with her little ponytails bobbing, hearing Parker's gentle "I love you" and getting one of Ravenna's bear hugs were about the greatest gifts I could ever receive. Big hugs from my older two and looking up over them at the most incredible man....

    Our life may be in the midst of incredible storms right now but today, in that moment, I had no doubt that I am beyond deeply blessed.

   I also woke up knowing exactly what to write today!!!! Linny, if you had any doubt about why God told you to do the Memorial Box today instead of Monday...I think it was for me! I am so excited to write it down.

A Memorial Box is somewhere that you place an item to remind you of God's faithfullness. God tells us to do remember the things that He does. It is just so easy to forget when life gets hard!

This story happened when I was a self conscious, searching and pretty confused 17 year old. I had just graduated high school and entering my last sun-kissed summer before the wide world of college. I grew up on a tiny island in the Northwest that was thick with giant fir trees, gentle beaches and community taking care of one another. At this point in time all of the wonderfulness had worn off for most of us newly minted graduates. We jokingly called the island "the rock" since you could not get on or off of it without taking a little ferry boat that notriously ran late, broke down or crashed into the dock leaving us stranded on that island for days at a time!

I worked as a bag girl (not to be confsued with bag lady) at the local grocery store. The place still holds so many memories when I walk in! My very first real boyfriend even told me he loved in the coffee aisle (talk about romance)! One day I was taking the groceries out for a customer that I didn't know. My thoughts were somewhere else (probably on that boy!) and I was not really listening to what the guy was saying. We got to his car and he said, "well, are you interested?"

Uhhhhhh....what the heck was he talking about? I must have looked blank. He then said, "Do you want to go to Young Life camp? A group of kids is going, it is up in Canada..." He then listed the kids who of course I knew, being from 'the rock' and all. I didn't want to sound dumb so I nodded my head and took a flier. I had zero idea what Young Life was. The only other camp I had ever been to was a soccer camp. The other kids going were sports type kids so I just assumed that it must be a new soccer camp.

It's tiny and a bit blurry but this was my senior picture!

A few weeks lazy weeks went by and early one morning I climbed a stuffy van headed towards Canada, sweatpants on, soccer cleats tied to my bag and shin guards inside. Our little group of kids (8 I think) talked and joked and played cards on that long ferry ride through deep canyons, moutains reaching almost to the sky. We never once talked about what we would be doing when we got there or who had  invited us all. You see there was no Young Life on the island, none of us knew what it was. The ferry was teeming of other groups much larger than ours also going to this 'Young Life' place. I sized them up, figuring out who would be the toughest soccer competitors.

Late in the day the tiny boat that we had switched onto pulled up to a little wooden dock on the side of a steep hillside a Young Life's Camp Malibu. I looked at all of the people waiting to greet us. For some reason they were all dressed up in goofy costumes, Hawaiian, one in a toga, purple wigs etc. They were singing songs and taking our bags. I handed mine off, soccer cleats swinging as I did.

I remember thinking, "Wow...they must have really cleared and levelled some land up higher to make all those fields we will need for all these kids to compete on..." as we followed the singing staff up the stairs. On the way to the cabins we walked through trees, tons of trees thick and high with no level areas.  I could see through breaks in them a pool and some jet skis bobbing at the waters edge, and just could not figure out what was going on.

As we unpacked our bags, the nice lady who said she was our leader noticed all of my shorts, shin guards and tube socks and said, "So you really like soccer huh?" To which I eagerly replied "Oh yes! I cannot wait for our first game, will we practice tonight?" She looked very, very confused...and I began to feel very, very nervous. "Um honey, this isn't a sports camp... Do you know where you are?" at that point I said something like, "Oh! Of course..." and hurried to the bathroom. Sitting in that stall, my heart raced, what the heck was I doing? Could I leave? Well, my friends were here and everyone seemed nice. Was this some sort of themed acting camp? Is that why those people were dressed up? From that point on I just acted like I knew what I was doing and desperately followed the crowd.

Entering the dining hall that night only made matters worse...the whole kitchen staff were dressed in western garb. They sang as our food came and smiled madly. I slowly ate my biscuit and looked around with huge eyes. Then, after the meal we all filed into a wood panelled room with huge windows and sat down.

While we were there, we sang some songs. Some that I knew and many that I did not. A few talked about Jesus. I knew a little about Jesus from being in Episcopal youth group. I loved youth group, loved the Episcopal church. I actually went by myself every Sunday, my parents would drop me off and pick me up! I was totally confused about what any of it meant though. I was an acolyte and helped with communion and always sort of tuned out when they talked about Jesus, and the cross. I just knew that I was very loved there and that was enough for me.

My concept of God however went something like this. I remember when I was younger and I would get mad at my younger brother, I would steal his G.I. Joe guys and bury them in the yard. I would climb up the massive arms of the plum tree and cry...and look up into the clouds. I figured that God was up there and He was not happy with me. I remember climbing down fast worrying about lightening bolts too! Usually I would go down, dig up the little plastic guys and give them a bath, putting them back before my brother missed them. I just finally confessed to him last month that there may stiil be some hidden out there! My understanding just stayed at that point, when I was a 'good' person God must be happy, when I did something 'wrong' God was mad.

Well, back in that wood panelled room, window peeking out into the trees. A man stood up and began to speak. He really began to speak about Jesus. He spoke about an emptiness that he had in his heart, that we all have in our hearts. He explained that the emptiness can only truly be filled by God...

and I began I realized for the first time just how thirsty I was, not for water but for truth. I had searched for it in acceptance, in being the best athlete, in being well like, in being loved by that boy who told me he loved me in the coffee aisle.

In the quiet of that tiny camp that sparkled like a gem on the water, late that night I really started to take a hard look at those things that I thought were the best life could offer...and I worked hard to convince myself that they were enough.

Well...the week went by in a whirl of water play, goofy meals, strange costumes all anchored each night with this man talking. He talked of Jesus, of how much He loved us, how He longed to know our every thought, and finally how He died for us, for the things that we did wrong, the sins in our life, He longed to help us carry those struggles and to help heal the painful parts of our lives too. He talked about how Jesus would have died for me even if I was the only person in the whole world.

This is the very dock!!!

That night, the last night....I stayed up extra late. I went and I sat on the little dock, toes almost touching the water. I looked up at the stars scattered like confetti across the sky, reflecting back down on the water. For the first time in my life I prayed. I told God that I was scared. Tears came down as I told Him that I knew that the things I was trying were somehow empty. I told Him I wanted to believe but did not know how. I asked Him for a sign, some way to know. The after a minute I got bold and said I would like to see Him make a shooting star....

and as I looked up at the sky, the biggest shooting star I have ever seen streaked across it!!!

and in that moment I prayed. I told Him I was a sinner, that I wanted to follow Him, that I believed that He died on that cross for me and I wept as I told Him that I knew He would have done it if I was the only one.

I'm making a cake with the kids so this is SO not my reality!!!!

As I sit here on my 38th birthday, looking back over the years. It is that moment that has marked my life more than any other. Every single one of those promises has held true, every. single. time.

God has been so faithful. He has walked my heart through more healing than I could have ever dreamed possible, He has whispered guidance that has led me to some of the most beautiful people and places in this world in the very places most would deem the ugliest. He continues to teach me to take my hand and show me how to walk when the water and waves of the storms we face threaten to swallow me whole...

 and even though I am inching closer to that big old 40...it just doesn't matter.

My life following Jesus is the most vibrant, real, deep true thing ever.

I cannot thank God enough for that stranger who listened to God's voice and boldly asked a confused bag girl at the grocery store to go to Young Life camp when there was no Young Life even to be found!

That He guided my heart to somehow say yes to going to that 'soccer camp'

for that beautiful moment on that tiny dock that is forever etched in my memory.

I have a wooden star from a Young Life camp that I worked at years later...I think it will find a new home in my Memorial Box.

But before you are done here.
Let me introduce you to a precious, beyond beautiful child of God

She has a medical condition that needs help RIGHT NOW and she needs a miracle. You CAN be a part of helping this precious girl out. Help her to find her family, to find medical care....

Please, please, please,

take a minute out of your day, risk and go and read her story here. God may be asking you to be a piece of her answer...which is the coolest thing in the world!

Read More about Yulia here

Want to know more about Memorial Boxes or read more stories of God's faithfulness????

Check them out here

and if you want to read more of my Memorial Box stories

Check Them out Here!