Why?

**Note: There are photos of Addison in this post.  They may be hard for some to process. Just a warning.**

This month has been an extremely hard month. 

It comes in at a close second to the month we lost Addison. 

So much has gone on in life, and my heart is so worn out. 

I feel as if I have been stretched and used in ways, like never before. 

September is always a difficult month. 

But it is also a happy one too. 

Two years ago today we lost Addison Ruth. 

She was still born, and beautiful. 

The heart break that came with loosing her was horrendous. 

Today we grieve and celebrate what would have been her 2nd birthday. 

We miss this little girl, more than we could ever express. 

It's hard and honestly I just wish Addison was here with us. 

Because the pain is just too much. 

Although if Addison hadn't been taken home to heaven...

We wouldn't have Oliver. 

Oh what a precious gift Oliver is. 

A gift straight from heaven for sure.

His birthday is in September too, and what a wonderful that is. 

I don't think I will ever be able to thank God enough for Oliver. 

But I still wish we could have had Oliver and Addison here with us. 

She would have been 2 today... 

She would have been walking, talking...

Having opinions on food, and tv shows. 

She should be running around in pretty dresses and bows in her hair.

She should be here with her mom, and dad...

big brothers and big sisters.... 

She should be here. 

But I guess God had different plans for our family. 

Just like God had different plans for Kyle. 

Kyle was a sweet little boy, who had no family. 

He had no home,  no toys, no bed, nothing to his name. 

He was given up when he was a baby for reasons that we will never know.  

He was born with Down syndrome, and spent his life in an orphanage. 

He was transferred to an adult mental institution at the age of 5. 

Where he sat and waited to be chosen. 

He was chosen by a wonderful woman, but sadly Putin passed a law. 

A law that would ban Americans from adopting R*ssian orphans. 

Putin decided not only Kyle's fate, but all the orphans in R*ssia. 

Kyle and all the other children have no more hope. 

They no longer have a second chance at life. 

They have been hidden away from the world, because no one sees their potential. 

The ban has been in place for about 10 months now.  

The longer the ban is there, kids start to die. 

About a month ago we got an updated photo of Kyle. 

When I heard this news I got excited because I wanted to know how my boy was doing. 

I anxiously opened the message with his photo, I didn't find what I had hoped. 

I didn't find a sweet picture of Kyle, that told me he was doing okay. 

I found a sad, and terribly heart breaking picture, that said Kyle needed out. 

Yes...That is the same little boy. 

Heart breaking.  

Kyle was slowly wasting away because he wasn't viewed as valuable. 

No one cared about Kyle, no one took the time to think about his future. 

Because of the ignorance in this world.... 

On September 25th, 2013 we got the news that Kyle had passed away. 

He was no longer in pain here on earth, but is now dancing in heaven pain free. 

No it's not a "happy ending", yes Kyle is pain free and in the arms of Jesus. 

But we failed, we failed as the body of Christ, and just humans in general.  

We failed. 

This life passed away so quietly, and went un-noticed for so long. 

Kyle was listed on a very big photo listing for the majority of his life. 

But yet he died alone. 

Please tell me why we ignored him?  Why didn't we fight for this life? 

Why didn't we care enough to do something?  

WHY?

This should never happen!  But the reality is, that it does.... 

Every day another kid dies.

But people continue to ignore these lives. 

They don't do anything. 

You don't have to adopt to make a difference. 

Pray. Share. Donate. Advocate. 

There are endless things that we can do to stop this! 

You could help fund a family who is adopting: 

-The Tanquary Family is adopting Kaydee-

http://reecesrainbow.org/48712/sponsortanquary

They need $4800 to be fully funded. 

-The Williams Family Adopting Berkley- 

 www.reecesrainbow.org/61131/sponsorwilliams 

They need $5500 to be fully funded.

Oh how about helping and Angel Tree warrior raise $1000 for their Angel Tree child!  

The bigger fund that a child has, the more likely they are to be adopted! 

You could donate to a child's fund! 

-Lark-

http://reecesrainbow.org/65306/lark-l

-Mick- 

http://reecesrainbow.org/65306/lark-l

-Hale-

http://reecesrainbow.org/65890/hale

I beg of you to just get up and do something!  

We cannot continue to let this happen!

These lives are precious, and they  have value. 

They have potential and they are children!  

So pelase, oh please, oh please! 

Get up. and GO.  Find a child or a family, or an organization!  

Do something! 

For these kids.... 

It's A Do Over

"Joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

I've read this verse many times before, but never did it click in my mind what exactly this verse meant.
Life can sometimes be stressful, or disappointing, upsetting, or angering, when I say sometimes I mean a lot of the time.  Things don't go our way, or someone says something that upsets, or hurts us, and we let the emotions for those negative moments consume us.  We allow those few moments to determine our attitude, our actions, and how the rest of our day will be.  But ultimately it doesn't stop there, we carry those emotions with us and we let them determine our  tomorrows.

We aren't promised our tomorrows, life is short, way to short to let something that happened yesterday, ruin our tomorrows.  "Joy comes in the morning" Psalm 30:5   When you wake up each morning, it's a do over.  It's a new day to fix broken relationships, send apologies, to choose a positive and joyful attitude.  It's a new day to let go of what happened yesterday, because you can't do anything about what has already happened, and to make the decision that you will strive to make your tomorrows better than your yesterdays.

Tomorrow, when you wake up...let the joy come and fill your heart!  Make the decision to have an attitude of love and a mind positive thoughts!

Songbirds and Angel Tree

Hello lovely people!

I'm not sure if I have blogged about Angel Tree in the past years, but it's a wonderful opportunity for others to give a gift that will be used in ways you never thought possible!

Angel Tree is a yearly project that Reece's Rainbow holds. It runs from November 1st - December 31st.   You sign up to help a child, of your choice that is listed on their site, and it is your goal to not only raise $1,000 for the child, but also find them a forever family!

Now if you don't know what Reece's Rainbow is check out their site!  I'll go ahead and give you a brief summary now though.  Reece's Rainbow is a certified 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  They raise awareness as well as help find families for orphans with Down syndrome, and other special needs in other countries. :) Beautiful ministry, formed of beautiful people!

I have done Angel Tree 3 years in a row, and I love it more and more each year!  It's such a great thing for the children, because they have a dedicated advocate, and they get tons of publicity, in hopes that their mama, and papa will see them!  I just think it's brilliant!

This year I am an Angel Tree warrior for a sweet songbird named Lark.  Lark will be 3 years old in November, she was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and has the sweetest grin.

Here is an update on Lark from May 2013:
"Lark is wearing a hearing aid, is well reacting to the sounds in the environment, "sings" when she hears music.  Stands with help or needs to hold her hand, walks with some help, started to try to put the pyramid rings - sometimes needs help in this activity .  Very much interested in other children especially when the play around, started to repeat the movements - pushes the car, takes the toy, claps her hands.  Learned to eat cookies holding in her hand.  Drinks from a cup which is held by an adult."

Precious right?

Well I'm the lucky girl that gets to share her priceless grin, find her a forever family, and raise $1,000 for her! I take such pride in this opportunity!   I have been thinking of fund raisers that I can do to help me raise this $1,000 for Lark.  But I need some new ideas!  If you have any I would love to hear them! ;)

Any who,  I wanted to propose the opportunity to you all, if you are looking for a way to give this Christmas but aren't sure where to put your money, I would suggest Lark's grant!   Children have a better chance at finding families if there are larger amounts of money in their grants!  Adoption is expensive, and you can help with the cost! :)

You're donation of $5, $10, or $20 would help me reach my goal, and help Lark find her family!  There is a donation button on the left hand side of the blog that is labeled 'Angel Tree For Lark'  if you feel led to donate please do so through that button!  :)   I will also have a tab at the top of the blob labeled 'Shop', where I will have some Lanyards and Key Fobs for sale!  All proceeds will be donated to Larks Angel Tree fund!  :)   So take another look at this precious grin and consider helping Lark find her family this Christmas!

Your Heart Has To Be Right

Missions trips are fun, and exciting, they are eye opening and life changing, they inspire you, and they break your heart in ways you never thought possible.   But ultimately none of that matters if your heart isn't in the right place.  You can't go into the missions field, and be focused on yourself or your issues, or who said what.  Because when you enter the missions field, life automatically becomes about everyone else, your problems get set aside for the time being.  Life becomes about serving, and bettering the lives of others.

You see I would love to venture over to Africa at some point in my life, I truly would!  But right now I don't feel it's where God wants me.  When I jumped into the thought of Africa, I did it with the wrong heart. I had just gotten back from a missions trip to Mexico with my youth group that hadn't gone to well.  I convinced my self that since that one trip to Mexico didn't go well that, that was not where God wanted me.  Which wasn't the case at all.  I told myself that God wanted me Africa, and I tried to find all the reasons why I knew this was right.  But ultimately things with my health just didn't add up, neither did the money situation. I knew that this wasn't where God wanted me but I refused to acknowledge that.  I continued to pray and ask God to show me that it was right, and He continued to turn my heart back to Mexico.  He continued to remind me of just how in love I am with the language, people, food, the kids, and just the country in general.  I knew where God needed me but it took me a while to realize that.

When I went to Mexico in March, I had the wrong heart.  There were issues going on between myself and others that I let consume my heart and attention.  Because I let myself become consumed with those issues, I wasn't able to give my all  and serve those people, the churches, the kids at the orphanage, and the ones at VBS.  I realize now my  mistakes and my faults, and that I let myself get consumed and forgot the reason that I was down there.  God has since renewed my heart, as well as my mind.  He has shown me clearly where I am needed, and has re-lit the fire in my heart, for the country of Mexico that had gone dim.  

So please, oh please make sure your heart is in the right place before you jump into the missions field.  Because if we aren't 110%  focused on the people God has sent us to witness to and benefit, those people will be neglected.  They wont experience the unconditional and wonderful love of Christ.  We can't give our all if we are concerned with, and focused on ourselves.