Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…My sister and her family are planning on visiting us later this week.  We’re looking forward to lots of cousin time!

My favorite things this week were…the opportunities where I found myself alone with different children.  The piano recital and the group improve performance.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

It has been my hope for two years to be able to get on a plane and travel to Guatemala, to meet you, to tell you that you are not in this parenting thing alone.  I wanted to tell you that even though I am roughly 2500 miles away and we’ve never met, that I pray that God will hold you up.

And then the call came, your precious daughter, my sponsored child, left the Compassion program despite the encouragement of the staff.  I had noticed over the last few letters how Lesbia’s tone had changed from young and cheerful to sad and bordering on hopeless. 

Oh how I hope that you have not given up.

What is it like, trying to raise a daughter, alone without the support of a husband, in poverty, without enough?

I can only imagine the hopelessness that might try to settle in.  The loneliness that produces fear.  The simple reality of hunger and sickness that stamps out dreams.

Please don’t give up.

I will keep praying because I know One who spans distance, fills gaps and loves you.  He loves you and your children with a forever love.  I will pray that the seeds of truth which have been sown in your daughter will germinate and bring life to both of you. 

And while I probably won’t be able to get on that plane to Guatemala I’ll quietly remember you and pray that God will uphold you, supply you with enough.

Please don’t give up.

Recently widowed Mary Fassler buys a Miniature Schnauzer, Rufus, and her world is turned sideways in the midst of her grief.  It seems that Rufus speaks. And not just to her. He also talks to God. When Rufus begins sharing advice that could result in major changes, Mary gets the feeling the pooch might not be steering her in the right direction. Or, is she just afraid to take the leap and discover something she desperately needs? Only Rufus…and God…knows.

The author has written stories that explore the surface of unbelief, doubt and pain, with well placed humor and likeable characters.  The stories were rather long in developing and it was challenging to hang in there with Rufus, “The Dog That Talked to God.”  On the other hand Petey’s comments sprinkled throughout “The Cat that God Sent” injected enough compassionate humor to keep the story moving along. 

About the Author:
Jim Kraus grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has spent the last twenty years as a vice president of a major Christian publishing house. He has written more than twenty books and novels, including the best-selling The Dog That Talked to God. He and his family live outside of Chicago with a sweet miniature Schnauzer and an ill-tempered Siberian cat named (of course) Petey. www.jimkraus.com

I received these books from Litfuse in exchange for my personal thoughts.

During a visit to a clinic for BC pills, a routine pregnancy test was run.   In the same breath the clinic work told me that the test was positive, she asked me when I would like to be scheduled to “take care of it”.

The news of the new life within me took me completely by surprise, and I couldn’t think to respond to the clinic worker.   Stunned but unwilling to schedule “the procedure” until I talked with my boyfriend.  I walked out of the clinic that day.  By God’s grace I didn’t return, even though the relationship ended and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do.

 Eight months later a beautiful baby girl was born and I became a very young mother.  Now that baby girl is grown, and is the mother of my precious granddaughter.  Life has brought forth life.

As I look back on that January day I wonder how many young women like me are quickly presented with a solution to the “surprise” of an unplanned pregnancy, and how many are ushered into ending the life of the little surprise.

The work of LifeNetwork pushes back the darkness, protects the unborn and ministers to the young women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy. Each woman who walks into a LifeNetwork office is presented with life and hope. That is worth supporting. 

Saturday June 1 my daughters and I will be participating in the Walk/Run for Life in our city.  One of my daughters will be running in the 5K, the rest of us will walk and push JoyNess in the NanaMobile.  Will you sponsor us as we walk/run to raise money to keep the doors of LifeNetwork open in our community?

As a child advocate, most of what I write about is child sponsorship and ministry to children & families.  Occasionally I write about the healing I have been given from years of intense abuse as a child, and the hope I long to offer others seeking healing from that atrocity. 

But there are other ways in which I desire to offer hope and help.  Most stem from my own experiences, but I do believe that the hope and deliverance we have been given provides us direction on how to live and offer ourselves to God’s service

The days are sometimes pretty hard in our home, I imagine it is so in most all homes.  Attitudes and words get twisted, chores get neglected, appliances break down.  And always the days are just plain full.

But at the end of the day, as I think back over the day that seemed so long, yet has evaporated in an instant I know this.  Life is Good.  It is a good gift.

And this knowledge inspires me to pursue a continued change in my focus and activity, to look for the grace laden gifts, the evidence of God’s amazing love for me in all the twisted tangle of full, hard and good each day.

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counting the gifts in 2013  #120-141

•       Testimony of the one who feels small, words flowing from one who says she has no speaking ability testifying of the joy seen in the eyes of new believers
•     baby girl chatting with me during diaper changes

  

•      stories of God’s faithfulness that reveal my less than a mustard seed faith
•       the snow on the skylight, how it sparkles and looks like a kaleidoscope
•       new work, short frequent hours that allow JoyNess to continue nursing
•     a presentation that results in grace youth sponsorship

  

•       soaking wet snow, gentle moisture for this dry land

  

   

•    the young man from youth group who asks if he can scrape my van windows at the end of the fellowship
•  that class of kids, such fantastic people
•   tadpole name suggestions that have me rolling in laughter
•    young men jumping up to help stack the chairs
•  a friend to share my deeper burdens with
•  the freedom that has come from sharing uglier parts of my life, story
•   a washing machine and hot water heater that are running again

  

•  a kind generous plumber friend

Washing Machine filter ~ 2 hours to get it all open, apart and cleaned, but that didn’t fix the problem

• Something I am hoping for…this

Coppelia

the sweet gift of friendship

but they still show up in  specific areas.  Dropped dog food, crumbs that missed the trash can are usually found by the ants before I find the mess.

This product was sent to me by Purex in exchange for my review.