To see the slideshow of all this week’s great sketches, go here. And if you want to join us next week, for sketching, go here to learn the details.

counting to #825

• Time to pray with Builder each morning
•  Pink light on mountain, showing it staying firmly planted as the wind gusts and howls
• Reflecting on the 3 little pigs, and knowing our home stands firm in the winds, with the wind wolf outside, because of WHO resides within us.
• The admonishment to pray for my marriage, starting with my heart
• The howling, gusting wind left snow when it blew away
• Chicken soup and hot bread
• Friendship
•  Laughter in the morning
•  Beautiful Claudia, giving us the tour of Compassion International’s offices, pulls the pieces of my heart’s mission together. It is taking shape.
• Knowing that the LORD has plans for us, to bless us and give us a future, not to harm us.
• Daddy is home. Makes math so much easier.
• Discussing the POVERTY WHEEL during morning Bible times. Father open our eyes.

This is Fatao, in Burkina Faso, Africa.

When it comes to additional medical assistance like this, for things beyond normal preventative care,  Compassion International church partners have immediate access to $5,000 via a Medical Assistance Fund.  However, when the expenses associated with these special medical needs cost more than $5,000 the child development center requests more money, money which needs to be raised.  Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/ventricular-septal-defect-in-children-six-year-old-fatao-needs-heart-surgery/#ixzz1oXBxQOgl

• provide all that Fatao needs to have heart surgery to repair the hole in his heart
• be his comfort and strength as he travels to India, without his parents
• strengthen the faith and peace of his parents while they remain in Burkina Faso to work and care for the rest of their family.
• and the other ways you are lead to pray

Father, open our eyes, to the wonder and glory all around.  The grace you poured out in the past, the grace you have for today, the grace we can believe will be given tomorrow.

counting the gifts to #817
Sunday morning date over books, to learn together
Pink stripe clouds at sunset
Snow in the morning
Hugs with the precious new 11 year old today
My sister calls the birthday girl, and gives the gift of time as she lingers on the phone asking questions and listening
Friendship
Bear hugs
 The opportunity and inspiration to write
Hope
The ability to remember

the lovely e

and my heart whispers amen.

But never have I waited for clean water.  medication or vaccinations.  enough food.  an education.

Children all over the world are waiting for these things.  And more, they are waiting to hear the good news of Christ’s love. 

As a Compassion Sponsor, a person has the opportunity to share all the above things with a child in deep poverty.  And as my family has experienced, there is the opportunity to build a relationship, to hear the personal story. 

In future posts I plan to share about the journey our family is on, building relationships, writing a new chapter in the story of some children, and in the story of our family.  In the meantime, will you take a moment to watch the video?  And maybe, take a look at the beautiful faces of some of the children who have been waiting the longest for a sponsor?

If you would, please, join me in praying for these precious children?  Maybe you are like us and are limited in how many children your family can sponsor, or maybe, you can sponsor one of them, today?

Either way, there is no limit to how often we can pray for them.  Our FATHER will hear our prayers.  Will you join me, pray for the LORD’s care upon them, for the word to spread and for more of these children to be sponsored?

Sponsor a Waiting Child from Compassion International on Vimeo.

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Sponsor a Waiting Child from Compassion International on Vimeo.

“>Sponsor a Waiting Child from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Please, take just a few minutes.

Petal Rose’s 11th Birthday…and i had the honor of whisking her away for an hour, for a cup of coffee, for some time to share some wisdom with her…and i heard a little whisper “let her talk”  and i did.

Sweet joy, to hear the thoughts and ideas and hopes that rest deep in the heart of our precious Petal Rose.  A very fine thing.

linking with Soulemama and Amy’s Finer Things
Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

The times when busyness over takes, schedule busting sickness settles in for a few days or weeks, it is then I find comfort in the still voice that tells me to look deeper and see the good that HE is doing.  How wonderous it is, to stop and ponder this, “what am I Lord that You are mindful of me?  That You still speak, and call, and draw me close?”

Counting is like following the long rivers, rushing wide and rapids foaming in places, slowing down to a trickle in others, while even at times it seems the river bed is dry.  But no, look closer, life is flourishing even there.

gifts to #810
Fruit smoothie in the morning
Philippians 4:4-7
The free cards that arrived from dayspring, making acknowledging birthdays a little easier
The community unites to prayer and provide meals
Inexpensive pet food, gives boost to our budget
Movie get away with Beloved
Sunday afternoon nap
Bird song at the ranch
Summer plans beginning
Last summer’s squash still moving from storage to table
Found an author hubby enjoys reading