Please pray...

Pray for this family ... go read their story ... pray for their baby boy ... the baby boy they were suppose to bring home but because of one judge, they've been denied his adoption ... read their story ... pray for God's perfect will ... this sweet boy will not survive if he stays institutionalized, they can't possibly meet his needs ... he needs to be with his forever family!

I DID IT...26.2 miles...

After months of training, months of raising financial support for sweet baby Heather, I can now say that I am a 'marathoner'...sounds so cool...LOL!!! What an experience!!!! The race started wonderful...the rain was looming but was only a light drizzle...the winds were like ice, though. I was feeling the strongest I had ever felt and knew it was going to be a great race UNTIL mile 4 when my stomach went haywire. As I was standing in line to the porta potty for over 20 mins. the rain began to POUR down! The rest of the race was drenching rain, freezing cold winds, a bout of hail, floods, & mud.  Woohoo...fasten your seat belts because this here ride is gonna to be the wildest ride in the west ;P

Paul and my family met me at mile 17...what a wonderful sight they were...it was all I could do to not bawl my eyes out. Not so much of what I was having to endure but I was just so excited that I was actually running my first marathon...I was just overwhelmed with so much emotion.

At that point, I literally could not feel my fingers and I was starting to see white spots. My mom gave me a rain poncho which help to warm me up a bit but helped my hands immensely. I was back on the road again...minus my tummy issues and the cold, I truly was having an awesome time! I just wished I had felt better...I ultimately had to have Paul meet me at mile 21 with some tummy medicine and all was great after that.

All in all it was a very crazy situation but I can't wait for next year. The course is GREAT!!!

But here is the COOLEST PART EVER...the part that made it ALL WORTH IT...I was on an amazing team...together, the 7 of us raised over $16,000 for the orphan babes in China...Team Love Without Boundaries...YOU ROCK!!! 

MY TEAM!

We were sooo blessed to have a hospitality suite in the DODGER STADIUM before the race. Did you hear me??? DODGER STADIUM...I was beside myself...LOVE the Dodgers...dates all the way back to when I was a little girl...that's what my daddy and I shared...our Dodgers!!

Thanking God for His amazing strength and protection! It's only by His strength that we succeeded!

Here are some crazy news clips:

Thousands of runners at the Los Angeles Marathon have been evaluated for hypothermia and 25 have been transported to local hospitals, according to Santa Monica fire Capt. Judah Mitchell.

The runners battled torrential rains and shin-deep puddles.

By noon, MTA buses with police escorts were stationed near the finish line to pick up runners and drive them to parking areas or medical facilities. "They've brought in a dozen blue Santa Monica city buses with heaters for runners to sit in and get dry," race press officer Rich Perelman said.

A 21-year-old man went into cardiac arrest around mile 18 and was taken unconscious to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. An update on his condition was not immediately available. (I talked with this guy right before he went down .. so sad!)

About 1 p.m. at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, hundreds of runners sat in the hallways wrapped in towels, shivering.

Reports from other cities have indicated that buses have been picking up runners along the marathon route, to help them get warm.

"First, I want to thank God," Korir said. "I crossed the finish line and thought it was the end of my life. It's the roughest race I've ever run in the rain. I was dying out there, I was really struggling, but people were telling me, 'I love you. I love you.' At mile 21, my legs just gave out."

INCREDIBLE!

I saw this video years ago and my sister just found it again.  You have to watch this...it's absolutely incredible...BE BLESSED and SHARE it with your non-believing friends!! (pause my site music)

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9C2E1MNU

CCAA Announcement

CCAA has just made an official announcement stating that single women CAN now adopt a child on the Special Focus Program!  This means more babes will have forever homes...this means more babes will know the love of a family!

Notice

March 11, 20ll

Government departments and adoption agencies in receiving countries, In order to promote special needs child adoption and guarantee the basic interests of the orphaned and disabled children, CCAA decides to accept the adoption applications from female single applicants to adopt according to the requirements listed in this notice, starting f rom March 15, 2011 

I. Female single applicants are allowed to adopt special focus children listed on the special Needs System of ccAA. One applicant can only adopt one special focus child at a time, with an interval of at least one year between two adoptions. n. The applicant shall have reached the age of 30 years and are under 50. For applicants over 50, the age difference between the child to be adopted and the applicant shall be no more than 45 years. III. The applicant shall provide her civil status certificate. Unmarried applicants shall provide certification for being single and non-homosexual; divorced applicants shall provide the divorce certificate of the last marriage; and widowed applicants shall provide the death certificate of their ex-spouse.

IV. Applicants shall be healthy both physically and mentally according to the requirements by CCAA for prospective adoptive couples. Applicants shall be law abiding with no criminal records, and have good moral quality and conduct.

V. The family annual income shall reach $10,000 per family member, including the prospective adoptee and the family net assets value should reach $100,000. The applicant shall have good medical insurance which can cover the medical expense of the adopted child.

VI. Applicants shall be experienced in child caring or be occupied in child-related fields, such as doctor, nurse, teacher, child psychological counselor, etc. It's best that the applicants have already had successful experience in caring for special needs children.

VII. The number of children in the applicant's family under the age of

18 years shall be no more than two, and the youngest one should have reached the age of 6 years old.

Vru. Applicants shall be fully prepared for adopting a special focus child. Social workers shall provide the following information fully and timely in the home study reports besides family visit interviews: 1. Adoption motive. The decision to adopt a special focus child shall be well-considered. Applicants shall be capable of caring for a special need child and be responsible for the well-being of the child.

2. The reason of being single and attitude towards marriage. Applicants shall have clear indication of willingness to appoint male figures as role models for the adopted child, and welcome male friends to join family gatherings. 3. Applicants shall have received inter-country adoption training and training specifically for special needs child adoption so as to understand fully the physical and psychological needs of special needs children.

4. Detailed nurturing and rehabilitation plan. Applicants shall be qualified personally and socially for caring special needs children and have wide social and family supporting network which can provide assistance any time. 5. other advantages for caring special needs children.

IX. Guardians appointed by the applicants shall provide written

Statement as consent to act as the guardian of the adopted child. X. If the applicant has a stable relationship and lives with a male partner, t he requirements of couple applicants shall be applied.

China Center of Adoption Affairs

Surgery FUNDED!!!!!!

Baby Heather's surgery is FUNDED!!!!!!!! 

We just reached the $2500 goal....a goal I was so nervous about reaching and once again our Lord has gently and oh-so-beautifully shown me how my faith still needs to grow.

You guys simply amaze me...thank you for answering the call to care for the fatherless. I am soooo blessed by you!!

Oh beautiful baby girl, you are sooooo LOVED by many...you will get your surgery...sooooo overwhelmed...I can't believe it!!! Thank you Jesus!!!

Since we are funded, it's time to announce the winner of the
Pure Religion Bag.....

The Winner is.....

JENNIFER STRANE

Congratulations...your bag will be in the mail shortly!! 

Thank you everyone for helping sweet Heather!

Reckless Faith

I've shared Beth with you all before here.  But she's has a new video...no words needed...just watch and be MOVED!!  How can I...how can YOU capture the heart of an orphan?  The bottom video is still by far my most favorite one of her....pause my site music and be blessed and empowered to change the world one orphan at a time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Use me Lord...please use me!

Adoption Crisis in Ethiopia

I am asking and pleading that you lift the international adoption program in Ethiopia up to our Lord.

Last week the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children's, and Youth Affairs announced their intention to reduce intercountry adoptions by 90% beginning March 10, 2011.

The Ministry’s plan for a dramatic reduction is apparently based on two primary issues;

 1) the assumption that corruption in intercountry adoption is systemic and rampant and;
 2) the Ministry’s resources should be focused on the children for whom intercountry adoption is not an option.

This new ruling will greatly impact families that are already matched with children but it will also be a devastating impact for ALL orphaned children in ET. Please pray for the Lord's perfect will to prevail...pray for wisdom for the Ethiopian law makers...pray for the babes who's lives will literally be changed forever by this new ruling....pray for any corruption with Ethiopian adoptions to subside so more children can be protected!

The Joint Counsel for Emergency Campaign for Ethiopia Children has created a petition...please read it and SIGN THE PETITION HERE!

One more UPDATE before...

3/11 UPDATE: We are ONLY $85 AWAY!!!!!!!!

I hit the ground racing for baby Heather!  I AM ONLY $365 away from reaching my goal for her surgery!!!!

4 months ago, I began training for a full marathon...26.2 (and DON'T forget the .2 either!!)  Many people asked me why in the world would I want to do something like that...wwweeelllll....it's all for HER........

Ohhhh, just look at her beautiful smile! Sweet baby Heather needs to have surgery for her cleft lip and palate. Because she also has Hep B, special care needs to be taken when & where she can have her surgery which is why I am raising funds for her.  Babies that are cleft affected often have a hard time receiving proper nutrition because they can't drink from a normal bottle. Because of this, the nannies have to spoon feed them their formula and it's very time consuming!

Sooo, to help raise the remaining funds, I am doing a Love Offering Raffle!!! For every $5 donated, you have a chance to win one of our

NEW PURE RELIGION Bags

...they are sooooo cooool :)
Don't forget ALL donations are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!

Click here to donate and I'll enter you in the drawing to win one of these...

Hurry on over and love on this sweet baby girl who's basic need is something we would never deny our own child. We are talking Pure Religion folks...caring for the fatherless...James 1:27

Love you guys!

Side note: It has been brought to my attention that when a sponsor receives a thank you note, it states that their donation went into the general account. This is for tax purposes only. Please rest assured that your donations are going to directly Baby Heather's surgery.

2 weeks away...

WOW...I can't believe it....I am only 2 weeks away from my running my first marathon! What a crazy feeling...I'm excited, nervous, ready, doubting, sad, super crazy excited, in disbelief...hehehehe...what a ride!

But you know what's been soooo awesome??? All of you!!!! All of your prayers...all of your financial support...it's blessed me so much! Honestly, it's what has kept me going through this intense training! I am sooo close to my financial goal which means sweet baby Heather is close to being funded for her surgery!! Thank you my amazing, loving friends!

I am doing all of this for this beautiful treasure...this sweet one who needs surgery and Love Without Boundaries has blessed me with the honor of running for her and raising funds for her medical care...what a gift!

So precious baby Heather...I'm running my heart out for you & when I get tired & feel I can't press on, I WILL because you are LOVED & you are a beautiful gift...God's perfect treasure!

For any last minute sponsorships for this wonderful treasure, click HERE.

So overwhelmed...

As I look at my sidebar and gaze at the faces of my beautiful babes, I am overwhelmed with the amazing, miraculous treasure that each of them are. Each of their stories are extraordinary and I have a hard time accepting the beautiful gifts that the Lord has given me.

What have I done to deserve this love?

Just look at all those little one's piled up...I could have never dreamed this big!!  They make me laugh, they make me cry...they fill me with indescribable joy, they make me want to pull my hair out...they make me feel young and old at the same time...they are my everything!! To think that I could have missed all of this takes my breath away...Thank you Lord for being so clear...Thank you for petitioning our hearts until we obeyed and heard You!  Thank you for filling my cup to overflowing...an overflowing that I didn't even know was possible.