Will YOU Win It Tomorrow?

We draw tomorrow, July 1!

Are you in?

ASUS Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR 10.1" Detachable 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop, 64GB

• Preinstalled Full License MS Office Home & Student 2013. Full Version Win 8.1.
• Includes keyboard dock with USB 3.0 port.
• Intel Quad-Core Baytrail-T Z3740 1.33GHz. 2GB RAM.
• Storage Capacity: 64 GB solid-state in tablet.
• 11-Hour battery life. 1.2MP webcam. MicroHDMI. MicroUSB. Bluetooth 4.0. MicroSDXC slot.

Seriously, it's a touch screen tablet with detachable dock!

*I want one*

If you'd like to get a shot at this ~

* $25 gets you 1 shot

* $50 gets you 3 shots

* Each FB or blog repost/share gets you an additional shot

* Runs from 6/18 to 7/1

* Leave a comment or email to let me know you've reposted

May you be blessed and God be glorified!

Week at the Creek!

I'm just giddy about the week ahead!  One of my passions is serving the youth.

For the 14th year in a row (except 2 years ago following Kasidi's spine surgery) I'm headed to camp!

And this year, for the first time in 10 years...I'm going without a Pack N' Play!

That's right, my babies are divvied up among relatives and friends.

I miss them already!

But I'm looking forward to serving the youth with both hands this year.

Four of my Treasures are having a blast with their aunt, uncle and cousins!

And the littlest three are staying home with Daddy, spending their days with friends, because...

...just a few days after camp, we'll be rising to that 2 a.m. alarm and starting to harvest the Lord's crop!

I'm really looking forward to a week of quiet moments with the Lord and loud moments with the youth.

We truly appreciate your prayers for the week ahead.

TO HIM BE GLORY!

Transformer Fundraiser/Giveaway!

Well, y'all, I have been scratching my head.
Truth is, I detest the need to fund raise.
I LOVE the purpose.
But I hate asking and asking and asking some more.
We are completely dependent upon the Lord as our Provision.
He loves Kohlby even more than we do.
And we are committed to doing everything, through His strength, to get our son home.
We have a couple of large fees due.
My flesh wants to get really anxious.
But then I am reminded that the Lord has never forsaken us.  Never!
Because we must be so transparent about our fundraising, we are also accountable.
We are scrimping and saving every penny we can.
We are still asking the Lord for creative ideas to fund this adoption process.  And we are asking Him for direction as to when we just need to rest in Him and hold off on the fundraising madness.  Whether we are resting or acting, we pray that He is glorified.
Since the Lord is in the process of transforming Kohlby's life, we thought it appropriate to offer up an item with a similar name - the Transformer :)
So, here's the gig...

ASUS Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR 10.1" Detachable 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop, 64GB

• Preinstalled Full License MS Office Home & Student 2013. Full Version Win 8.1.
• Includes keyboard dock with USB 3.0 port.
• Intel Quad-Core Baytrail-T Z3740 1.33GHz. 2GB RAM.
• Storage Capacity: 64 GB solid-state in tablet.
• 11-Hour battery life. 1.2MP webcam. MicroHDMI. MicroUSB. Bluetooth 4.0. MicroSDXC slot.

Seriously, it's a touch screen tablet with detachable dock!

*I want one*

If you'd like to get a shot at this ~

* $25 gets you 1 shot

* $50 gets you 3 shots

* Each FB or blog repost/share gets you an additional shot

* Runs from 6/18 to 7/1

* Leave a comment or email to let me know you've reposted

May you be blessed and God be glorified!

Wedding Bells!

I am so blessed to have witnessed an absolute Christ-centered wedding ceremony!

And as the mother of the groom, I am doubly blessed!

The marriage of my child is bittersweet.

It marks the end of the era of his being 'mine' (although he has always belonged to the Lord).

And it marks the beginning of a beautiful lifelong covenant with his bride, who is lovely both inside and out.

I don't have any 'official' photos yet, and I didn't take any once the ceremony began because I didn't want to miss a single moment.  But here are a few shots captured on the glorious day~

The couple

Cutting the cake

Flower girls' dresses, shoes and bows (thank you, Tina!)

On our way to the ceremony...early, I might add!

*this is the only picture I have of the men of the family because they spent most of their time with the groom*

I

Kambry Hope

Kinley Grace

Khloie Nicole

Kasidi Joy

Kenzie LeAnne

Kambry and Kennah Janae

I  you

Kayden Faith

Be still, my heart.

Kayden wanted to take a picture of us so she told the girls to crowd in, and this is what they did!

Gorgeous little ladies

I was truly humbled.

We decided to prepare and serve the rehearsal dinner ourselves.

Seemed easy enough for 50 people.

I've never made so much alfredo in my life.

But thanks to an amazing church member who stepped in to serve, we pulled it off!

I love this couple, and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for their lifetime together!

TO HIM BE THE GLORY!

"You Can't Save the World"

"You can't save the world," and other nonsensical notions.

My heart is ripped out of my chest every time I read stories or see images such as the one below.  When I see this precious child, abandoned, I don't see a stranger from another country; I see one of my children.  

My children are no longer abandoned, orphaned, neglected, abused or forgotten.  They are wanted, loved, cherished, nurtured, trained, disciplined...wanted.

Stories like the one below are reality, church.  These conditions exist in every corner of the fallen world in which we live.  And yet we can't bear to acknowledge it.  Because then we might feel we need to do something.  Or feel guilty for not doing something.  We just want to get away from the stress of our comfy existence.  But when we are in our escape, might we consider the stress that millions of children face every day?  Or the stress that would cause a parent to do such a thing?

How easy it is for us (me included!) to forget the purpose for which we are given life.  It is not to satisfy our need for leisure, comfort and pleasure.  Rather, we are given life so that we might serve our Creator and glorify Him by loving others.  There are so many ways we can pass God's love for us on to others.

God has given our family a heartbeat for those left behind.  There is nothing special about us.  Not.one.thing.  We are simply choosing to put aside some of the temporary comforts this world has to offer in exchange for things that may make an eternal difference.  This is not to magnify us; it is to glorify Him.  And it is not a sacrifice for us.  To the contrary, it is a blessing.  But it isn't always easy.  And our behavior isn't always glorifying.  But we strive daily to respond to the Lord as He draws us to Himself.  As John Piper says, "...may the current of your affections flow toward the Father."  Yes, that's what I want!  I want to be able to cast aside the pleasures of this world without sadness because I am chasing so hard after the Lord that He is my whole heart's desire and all-consuming Purpose.

So, I can't save the world.  But I want to breathe my last knowing that I tried.  As I look out my rose colored glasses from the vantage point of the wealthiest nation in the world, this is what I see ~

Over 40 Babies Received by 'Safe Haven' in Jinan

• June 7, 2014
• By Zhao Ruixue
• Editor: Sandy Zhu
• Change Text Size: A  A  A

A six-year-old girl was thrown from a car outside a "safe haven" for abandoned children on Thursday in Jinan city, capital of East China's Shandong Province, before the vehicle sped away. Workers found 2,600 yuan ($412) in her pocket, together with a note giving her birthday as May 5, 2008. The refuge had received 44 abandoned children since opening on June 1. [iqilu.com]

By yesterday, the shelter for abandoned babies in Jinan, Shandong Province, has received 44 abandoned babies and children since its opening on June 1, according to Cai Hanming, deputy director of the Jinan Children's Welfare Institution, which runs the shelter. Cai confirmed that all of these baibies suffer illnesses and more than 10 children are above 1 year old.

Cai added that the number of the children they received in the past six days  already exceeded half of the total number of the children they received in 2013, and the institution felt much more pressure than before.

China now has 25 such "safe havens" for abandoned children. The first one was established in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, in 2011.

Several shelters have reported that they have faced difficulties because the number of abandoned babies they received exceeded their expectations.

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, suspended the trial operation of its safe haven in March after receiving 262 babies and children after it opened in January.

Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province, has installed surveillance cameras in its safe haven to prevent parents from abandoning children, as the number of babies received has been surging since its opening in December.

The safe havens that are scheduled to open in Zhengzhou, Henan province, and Urumqi, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on June 1 have been delayed.

However, Cai Hanming, deputy director of the Jinan Children's Welfare Institution, said the institution is able to run the safe haven well.

In addition to 100 beds, the institution has a 200-square-meter room in place for babies and children, the Jinan Children's Welfare Institution said.

The institution has workers on duty round-the-clock.

Covering 13 square meters, the safe haven in Jinan is a two-floor building, with the first floor storing medical devices and the second floor receiving babies.

The safe haven is painted with colors of pink and green with the eaves painted with cartoon images. Windows are decorated with cartoon stickers to protect privacy.

 (Souce: Xinhua)

Wanna Get in on the 2nd Round of Treasure Tees?

Here we go again!
Since we have sold out of all our first order to tees, it's time to get a new shipment!  I have to do some scientific guessing at the most popular sizes since we have to order a large quantity, and I'm sorry my guesses weren't very scientific last time.

We will be placing our second large order of tees this Thursday, June 12!
 The PayPal button in the right sidebar shows all the size options and allows you to choose one or more tees.
More details are included in my original post found HERE.

*a note on sizing*
Both the fitted and classics are high quality 100% cotton tees.  The fitted run small, and the classics run a bit large.

Women's Fitted Small, Medium, Large, XL ~ $25
Women's Fitted 2XL ~ $27
Unisex Classic Small, Medium, Large, XL ~ $25
Unisex Classic 2XL ~ $27

Thank you!
To HIM be glory!!!