Take time to remember

Freedom isn't free.

Bringing baby starfish home

I have a new friend at church. A special lady named Mary  She and her husband have created an amazing blog as they adopt a baby from Uganda. Can you help them out?

... Please "like" or leave a comment on our posts on Earth Monkey Mom's page today. Whoever gets the most action gets free advertising on their blog for a week! We could REALLY use this since we had almost no fundraising action for quite a while now... Thank you! ♥

Or you can check out her fundraising site here

Help them bring baby starfish to his new home.

Read their blog. and share their story!

A mama's heart

*****update 5/27/2011*****
Baby zeke made it through phase 1 of surgery today.
 He was in surgery for over 8 hours, He has a ton of recovery left to do!
 He will be sedated for the next two weeks which will hopefully give his little body time to recover and grow. KEEP PRAYING!
***************************

Meet my dear friends.

In this photo there are 7 baby blessings... but one you cant see.

During the pregnancy Shelly learned that baby "zeke" had a heart defect.

But she has trusted God and remains faithful.

On May 24 2011

little Ezekiel Caleb

*God strengthen's the heart*

was born.

His Aunt said, "He's tiny but feisty"

and at 3lbs 14 ozs

he arrived

7 weeks ahead of schedule.

so far he is stable.

but he has a long way to go.

And on Friday he will be having heart surgery.

His mama trusts God.

But her heart hurts.

She has barely even held this tiny blessing.

She earnestly wants to pray that the Lord's will is done

but

that is so very hard.



"Unless plans change, Ezekiel's surgery will be this Friday.  We will move to PICU tomorrow, recover there then most likely return to NICU due to being early and his size. His heart defect is slightly different than they thought ...in laymens terms they have to reconstruct his broken heart. IN semi medical jargon--congenitally corrected transportation of the great arteries-aorta connected to r ventricle, pulmonary artery connected to the L ventricle. his L ventricle is connected to his R atrium &; his R ventricle (which is hypoplastic-too small) is connceted to his L atrium (this is backwards!). His mitral valve &; tricuspid valves are reversed. His tricuspid valve is stenotic (blocked, non functional) &; some word that meant misplaced, flaps the wrong way or something like that (sorry a bit overwhelmed). his aorta is hypoplastic (too small ascending &; descending) &; he has coarctation of the aorta (the way the aorta arches is wrong) he has a VSD (ventral septal defect)-a hole bw/ the lower chambers of his heart. he has patent foramen ovale (but that is due meds &; a good thing bcuz it keeps the blood flowing freely til surgery) he has experienced some hypertension &; apnea due meds -so he is on additional meds. he had some metabolic acidosis episodes as well. tpn (total parenteral nutrition--IV nutrition) may be started today. It is a total blessing that my ob was wise enough to administer betamethasone (steroid to mature lungs in utero). Zeke is still breathing on his own. (w/ heart kids the Oxygen/intubation can do harm as well as good). had kidney U/S, will have head U/S. results of those later"

As you can see she is a bit overwhelmed. So I am asking you all to join me in prayer. Her 11 month old is still itty bitty (Samuel 11 months old and 11lbs) missing chromosomes and has had a year filled with his very own medical issues. Pray for her husband Donald as he cares for him and the other 5 children. Pray for dear friends as they watch the older 5 children while their daddy travels back and forth to the hospital over 3 hours away from *home* (which is relative as they have no immediate family nearby because they are active duty military)  AND takes care of baby Sammy.

                                                          baby Sammy Above                                                           
She has been unable to hold Ezekiel except for the moments right after he was first born.

She has asked us to pray that her children get to see Ezekiel before he goes to PICU before he goes to preop prep tomorrow. Pray for his heart surgery. That Jesus is the great physician and carefully uses the surgeons hands to knit his heart back together. Pray for the stress on the mama and the entire family. That they come together and remain faithful during this time of the storm. To remember that "God is in control in all things" (her words exactly) and that his "big" brother sammy continues to thrive and grow while she is away.
she sings this song to baby ezekiel. would you listen to it. pray for her and commit his little life to the Father... that he live to glorify God. That Shelly and Donald can rest in the Father's arms in an embrace filled with comfort, love and peace.

lookie lookie..we're all still here

drop by here and check out this amazing post!!!!

I just love what this guy has to say!!!

Will You?

a day not so long ago we met. 2 women - but very different paths.
her blue eyes pierced my heart.

I have 6 children that have been raised in and by the church, and while daddy has been away serving overseas he is still a very constant part of our family

she has a bunch of children, 5... I think. their daddy is away right now too. serving. but not in the military. these children more like orphans clinging to those people willing to invest in them but at the same time guarded.

We have a steady income. clothes on our back. a roof over our head. food in the cupboard.

she is on welfare. caught in a system. living in the worst section of town. her power was off for a week. they took cold showers. no heat. and her cupboards are bare.

my children still have a sense of wide eyed wonder about so much.

hers are hardened and have their innocence robbed by the world they exist in.

I have chosen a path even before Christ of the straight and narrow.

she struggles with addiction
and yet...

I am drawn to her and her children.
not because it's safe.

and its a messy, sticky and uncomfortable situation.
             but
   I am here. drawn into the heart of it.
I can see even where God would ask me

WILL YOU?

Will I what, Lord?
      be a friend?
         sure.
at first it was just at church.
   where for me it was "safe"

But is that really what God asks?

  WILL YOU?

Will I what Lord?
       encourage your children to be friends with her children?
     really Lord?
          HE will protect them.
   HE will keep them safe.

But still that nagging

  WILL YOU?

take it not one step further ... but way more.
   help her past the point of my comfort zone.
take the extra mile
  not just offer a smile and a hug in passing.
will you go to her house.
be her friend...
   so if the opportunity arises...
you might be there to be a mentor...
   even to disciple her?

.................... but I am not worthy of that.
and to be honest it scares me.

and I hear the Lord remind me that He will be my strength...
He will be the teacher.
     He will be the redeemer...
He will rescue.
   He will save.
He can show her
all I have to do is have a willing and open heart and give HIM all the glory...
 cuz... in my own strength
I am nothing.

climbing to new heights

 on saturday we practiced rock climbing

 on Monday we did it.... for real

I love the church we have found.

every week there are little shiny pebbles that are vivid reminded that this is where God has placed us.


just this afternoon I sat at lunch with a wonderful lady
who told me that they followed us to church last week
she said she told her son she was stalking us :)

I can't wait to get to know her better!


and the week before that met an energetic vivacious lady that introduced herself by telling me she had been stalking me ... our boys played together for the past few weeks and have really hit it off... only to find out she has other children with similar ages, and they homeschool.


teehee.

not in a creepy lock up your children sort of way.

but it's neat to see how the Lord is putting us right where we belong.


and we do feel like we belong.


just last week I got to sit with a young woman who leads a group of sophomore girls.
and I think to myself how amazing it is that God brought us here. now.


I can see for the past few years that our journey was not in vain. In fact each step required faith and growth.  I can even clearly see the trials we endured and how they worked together for good.
And now I long to drop roots and be deeply planted.

I can see friendships forming.


I want to let the Son reflect in all I do.

and I thank God for those shiny spots in the streambed that he allows me to see.