It's a BOY!!!

UPDATE 2/10...we have raised $900 so far for Herschel...we have $9100 to go! I know that seems like such a big number but it's not to the Lord. Every little bit helps this sweet one get closer to his life-saving surgery!

Hahahaha...gotcha ya...didn't I???  Well, it IS a BOY but he's not our boy.  He is a precious, beautiful baby boy orphaned in China.  An incredible little guy with several severe heart defects. Heart defects that will become fatal if they aren't repaired.

His name is Herschel.

He is in desperate need of a LIFE-SAVING surgery.

A surgery that costs $10,000.

26.2 miles just might change his life forever.

I will run 26.2 miles for this sweet boy on MARCH 18.

I will run to raise funds...

I will run to raise awareness...

I will run to bring glory to our Lord...

I will run because someday, I want him to know that someone on the other side of the world loves him and wants him to live.

We love you baby boy!!

Several of my incredible girls from Team His Strength will join me on March 18 to run for Herschel, too. We are joining forces to raise the funds needed to help Herschel.

I'm excited to share that we will be running on Team Love Without Boundaries. This will be my 2nd marathon running this incredible organization. An organization full of volunteers that love the children of china.

Can you help? NO amount is too small!!!! Check out our team page HERE.

Our entire team would covet your prayers as we prepare for this race and most importantly, prayers of protection and healing for Herschel.

"Do I look fine?"

My sweet girl is growing up so quickly. Gone are the toddling days...she is becoming a young woman...

"Mama, do I look fine?" she asks as she gets ready for church. Baby girl, you look more than fine. You are absolutely beautiful. Beautifully and wonderfully created by our God...miraculously placed in our arms...created for a unique purpose that only the Lord can and will reveal to you.

'Do you see it sweet one...do you see the beauty that you are...don't let the world tell you other wise...don't let the world corrupt your idea of what true beauty is...true beauty is to have a heart that will earnestly seek the Lord in all you do...true beauty will cause you to look into your Father's eyes and seek His plans for your life...true beauty will come from the inside and shower on everyone you come in contact with...true beauty is how the Lord see's you...He see's you as the daughter that He perfectly created in His image...did you hear me...the Creator of the universe created You PERFECTLY, WONDERFULLY, MIRACULOUSLY...no mistakes baby...you are His.'

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praise. Proverbs 31:30.

Team His Strength

Right after my first full marathon last year in March, the Lord clearly impressed on my heart to start a running club for christian women. I had heard that several gals from church were training for their first 5k and as I shared about my group, they we all excited to help me start it.

I very clearly remember running and praying about the group...praying about our name...praying about our verse and the Lord answered my prayers. Our name: Team His Strength...Our verse: Psalm 18:1-3: The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my God is my rock, in whom I make my refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.


These girls are an incredible blessing and I love each of them so much!!  Running requires a lot of strength and endurance....a strength that can only come for the Lord...an endurance that requires us to lean solely on God.

We have about 18 regular runners on our team. Watching everyone make goals and meet them has been such a privilege.  It has often time brought me to tears to watch them push harder and farther than they thought they could.  They often call me their 'fearless leader' and I giggle because it is them that lead me...hold me accountable...encourage me...

Ladies, I love you with all my heart and I am so thankful for the gift of our group...the gift of our fellowship...the gift of our strength in Him...the gift that we get to share this with each other...it truly is a priceless treasure!!

Yesterday a handful of us ran in the first-ever Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon. It was a blast.  This was the first 1/2 for a few of the girls...talk about a fun first 1/2 :)  A few will be running the Surf City 1/2 next Sunday.

At the expo picking up our racing bibs

 During the race, getting ready to run through the castle (the race started at 5:45am..acckk)

 All finished...FANTASTIC JOB GIRLS!! 

NEXT STOP...

San Diego Marathon in June

4 of us will be running the full (the first full for 3 of them)

Several will be running the 1/2 (the first 1/2 for 2 of them)

Let the training begin...What an incredible group of ladies to be training with!

Lawyer fees funded!!!

I stand amazed yet I wonder WHY in the world am I so amazed??? God has never let us down...never failed to show up...never failed to have everything all figured out....where I fail continually...fall short always...try to figure it out all on my own....He is forever faithful...always providing...NEVER abandoning!!!

Our Mighty God has once again provided for our family in a miraculous way. A precious family...a family who's passion is to care for the orphan...has just donated $1500 to fund...FULLY FUND...Jubilee's finalization fee's. Man...it knocks me over every time...every time the Lord clearly tells us He will provide...many times I doubt...I'm fearful...but He ALWAYS fulfills His promises even in my sinful doubt.

Lord, I find myself so unworthy all of the time yet you love me...you care for me...you never leave me. Thank you for your incredible provision! Thank you for continually showing yourself to me. Thank you for the journey's you have chosen for our family. I give YOU all the glory and honor for all you have done and will do. None of these blessings are because of us but completely because of you.

Now all we need is our court date...should scheduled be any day now!!!

Shirt clearance...don't miss out!

We are so close to the fees we need for the lawyer...we are about a month away from finalizing our sweet girl's adoption and we will have to delay the court hearing if we can't pay the final lawyer fees....obviously not something we want to do.

I'm clearancing out our stock of Defender/Warrior t-shirts...click HERE to see what we have left...

ALL shirts are now reduced to $15 SHIPPED :)

Hurry before they are all gone!!

This is LOVE!

My oldest babe holding my youngest babe...man, I love this kid...he is so tender and so loving with his siblings! (most of the time ;)

Seriously?

Do you ever just sit back and watch your babes and think, "Seriously Lord, You've entrusted these amazing babes to me?" What an incredibly overwhelming responsibility...fabulously, perfectly His plan...so glorious the honor and privilege!

I had the honor of speaking at a seminar at our agency last weekend and as I shared about our kiddos, I became very emotional. I was emotional at the realization that I could have missed this...had I gotten what I thought I wanted...what I thought the Lord should do...I would have missed the most amazing, miraculous treasures of my life.  As I spoke to these sweet families and I looked into each of their eyes, I just knew they were at place that we were at over 11 years ago...families longing for a babe to hold...desperate for a child to call their own...not understanding why the Lord gave them the desire for child yet they were barren...all of those emotions hit me as I showed them a picture of our family and all I could say was, "The thought that we could have missed this had we gotten what we thought we wanted...."It took me a minute to pull it together...I didn't need to say anymore...the tears in their eyes told me they understood....they understood that God's plans are greater...His ways are higher! Praying for each of them as they decide what they will do next!!

Father, thank you for pursuing us...for giving us what YOU had planned for us! Thank you for being so gentle and patient with us!

Labor pains...

It's so easy for me to get caught up in the sadness of this world...often times broken...broken for so many that are hurting.  Families longing to bring their children home but red tape is prohibiting that...children longing for a forever families but no one is stepping forward...families struggling with medical issues...friends losing loved ones...losing houses...

Times are heavy...times are difficult...can you feel the labor pains? Our Lord is coming and He is coming soon!! Are you ready...are you watching?

 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming;  go out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. ¹¹ “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹² But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
¹³ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. ~Matthew 25:1-16

Be diligent in the Lord's work...be watching...He is coming...

lift your eyes to our God...

...not in brokenness but in pure, beautiful HOPE and ASSURANCE...

whatever trial you are having to endure...

HE IS IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Iron Man...aka Solomon :)

This kid cracks me up!!

BLESSED!

Blessed beyond comprehension!

Merry Christmas my sweet friends!

(missing each of you & missing updating my blog...I will shortly :)