Day 20 & 21: God's Littlest Angels

The news of the January 12th earthquake in Haiti made my heart cry... While praying that night, on the evening of Haiti's most catastrophic natural disaster to date, Christ called upon me to not just cry for Haiti, but to get involved in their recovery.  I had no idea what to do, or what this meant.  All I kept hearing was "go."  I felt the Lord telling me to "go" to Haiti. I asked the Lord, "What is this suppose to mean?" and "How am I suppose to do this?"  My answer?  "The children."  So, the first thing I did (the first thing I always do) I logged onto the internet and went straight to Google.  If you type "haiti children go" into the search engine at http://www.google.com/ you will come across a link for God's Littlest Angels.  The direct URL is http://www.glahaiti.org/ .  This link jumped right off of the google search result page and into the center of my heart.  So, I clicked on the link, and as I read various articles from the site I became overwhelmingly involved with it's contents...

God's Littlest Angels is a Haitian orphanage located in the mountains above Petion-Ville, which is close to the village of Femathe. GLA is a non-profitable, non-denominational Christian organization.  It was founded on December 25 1994 when a one pound fifteen ounce baby was born in a mission hospital in Haiti. This is from their website "With the parents' permission, Dixie took the baby home. John put his skills to work making an incubator out of a cardboard box and a heating pad. At the time, Dixie didn't have access to IV supplies, so she kept the baby alive by feeding her with an eye dropper every 2 hours. Within 4 days, she was drinking from a doll bottle. Angel Noël survived and went home to her parents in April of 1995. She is now in grade school and is very bright and outgoing.

God continued to send babies in need of medical support. In November 1995, John and Dixie followed God's call to leave the mission they were working with and moved into the community to work with Haitian families and their infants.
Haiti's health care is underdeveloped and has few facilities to care for premature infants. Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere. Out of all the infants who die in their first year, 60 percent die in their first month of life. There is no other program in Haiti that focuses on these newborn babies." 

Today God's Littlest Angels is much more than just a facility for premature babies.  They are now a fully functional orphanage, and home to children of all ages... I contacted GLA via e-mail and a woman by the name of Jean Bell from the orphanage replied to me.  Through e-mails I found out that there's many items that not only the orphanage, but the surrounding community needs... So, that brings me to the adventures of days twenty and twenty one of my journey...                                                                                                      (Photo from the GLA site)

I decided to send a few donations to GLA.  These donations must be sent to their Colorado office.  They hope to send a shipment off to Haiti on the fifteenth of February.  Therefore, I don't have that much time to collect and ship out the donations.  I started my collection of donations at my Church.  I asked the Pastor to ask the congregation for their help which he did last Wednesday.  On the day of our Baptism I was caught off guard when a woman said that she "had a few things" for me.  I then realized that the things were for GLA.  I was thrilled to be accepting the first donations to go off to GLA.  However, I was also worried that I may not receive that many donations by Feb.9.  So, with the advice of a kind woman I spoke with at church that day, I e-mail another woman who does a mail forwarding to the church members... This however is only the tip of the iceberg!

On Monday I spent the entire day on the phone calling local dentist offices. I told them what I was doing and asked them if they had any extra tooth brushes, or tooth paste that they would like to donate.  I had many misses with several offices saying that they had  just donated tooth brushes to Iraq.  But, to my delight I got two hits.  Also, on Tuesday I did an online course for the Red Cross, and registered for various classes. 

Today Mark was off from work, so we picked up a HUGE box from one of the dentist offices in town.  We also stopped at Dunkin Doughnuts where we picked up a few doughnut holes, coffee, milk, and a bagel.  We then drove down to the water and attempted to feed the ducks the bagel.  The ducks didn't eat that much of the bagel because of the seagulls aggressiveness.  Mark, the children, and I also took a few photos that we are going to send to our sponsor children.  It was COLD by the water, so we didn't stay long.  After our little outing we went to Wal-Mart where we bought Stephie her first "big kid" potty and pull-ups.  She was THRILLED to have her very own potty!  The girls and I also picked out a small gift for Sinny while Mark picked out a hot wheels car for Ardjan.

When we got home the girls each sat on their own potty where to my surprise they BOTH tinkled in the potty!  I was so happy with Stephie that I must have given her a million hugs and kisses. Afterwards, they both (although Rene has been potty trained for some time I couldn't exclude her from Stephie's treat)got a treat of yogurt covered raisins for being such big girls and using the potty. 

The past couple of days have been awesome, and so easy!  When you leave your life in God's hands it all just flows together so smoothly!  There is nothing that I can't do with God!  With him I find myself doing incredible things!  I love who I am and I love my life!  I love who my children are becoming!  I love the way my family works together!  I have a sign hanging in my living room that says "When God is in your heart... Love is in your home."  And, I feel that is why I'm so happy with things in my life... Because I have an extraordinary love in my heart and home that only He can provide! 

God Bless, and have a safe, extraordinary night!

UNICEF – A Call to Action

UNICEF – A Call to Action

REAL Health Care Respects LIFE

REAL Health Care Respects LIFE

Day 19 : Together We Walk, Together We Stand, Together We Were Baptized

Something miraculous happened to me while traveling to church on a cold Sunday night... My family became stranded on the side of the road.  At least that's what I thought at the time.  This "mishap" was actually the beginning of a series of tests, and events that would happen in my life to bring me closer to my father in heaven.  See, we were never really "stranded" because the Lord was at our side.  We were never alone, or without help.  He was always there... He IS always there, guiding us, helping us along each and every day to fulfill His purpose for our lives. 

Today my husband and I took another step forward onto the golden pathway that God has carefully constructed for us.  Today Mark and I walked together in Christ.  Today we made a commitment, dare I say, stronger than that of marriage.  We did something more symbolic than the exchanging of wedding bands... We were baptized together... Mark and I were both baptized as young adults.  In fact we both dedicated our lives to Christ around the same age. We were both baptized around the age of fifteen.  However, when we were baptized we were not immersed in water.  Mark and I both were only sprinkled.  The church that we are attending, and that we are becoming members of is a Baptist church... And, the Baptists do not recognize being sprinkled as being baptized.  Therefore, Mark and I had to get baptized again in order to join the church. 

Although, I didn't understand why I had to get baptized again, I did it anyway.  I thought to myself "Hey, I wonder how many people can say that they were baptized twice?" I didn't really think that anything special would happen upon this baptism because I was already saved.  And, the Holy Spirit already lives within me.. Boy was I wrong! 

At the end of today's church service the Pastor called us to the alter (invitation)...As I walked up the aisle leading to the alter I felt as if I were going to cry.  But, fought back the tears, and put a smile on my face.  My mind was blank as I did a series of things that eventually led me to a small stair case across from my husband with a pool of water separating us.  The first thing I did was I undressed and put on some sort of blue, water proof, zip up suite. While putting on the vinyl suite a very nice woman guided me through the actual baptism process... The Pastor will put your hand over your mouth, bend your knees, etc... But, her words didn't quite prepare me for what happened.  The Pastor asked for Mark and I to come into the water at the same time.  He raised his hand and said something that I agreed to. Then within a few seconds my head and whole body was submersed in a pool of water.  It all happened so quickly that I didn't have time to think.  The only thing I really remember is having my eyes closed for a while after being risen from the water.  Next, it was Mark's turn and the Pastor dunked Mark under the water...

On our way home I was a little disappointed that my mind had been blank during the baptism and that the Holy Spirit hadn't overwhelm me as it had the first time I was baptized... This nagged at me all night until I finally called Mark into the kitchen to talk with me while I did the dishes.  He made me feel better by saying that the reason I didn't feel the same as I did the first time is because I was already saved, and that I had already been Baptized.  This made sense, I mean after all, that is what I expected to happen in the first place.  Although Mark made me feel better, I still felt like I had missed a step.  As the night progressed I read many bible verses about baptism.  And, at some point while reading the bible verses, I got it.  Suddenly I understood and recognized the missing step... I didn't repent before I was baptized.  I stopped reading, and bowed my head in prayer.  While asking God to forgive any and all sins that I may have committed between my first baptism and today's,  my body became weightless, and my heart felt like a big hot air balloon.  I suddenly felt more uplifted than I had in a while.  And, I felt as if I had more room in my heart than ever before.  Then, I realized what the true meaning of baptism was.  A baptism is a cleansing, or a rebirth.  But, you can not be cleansed of your sins unless you ask to be.  However, this particular baptism was so much more than a simple cleansing... 

Today I was baptized with my husband.  Today my husband and I ourselves were not reborn.  Today our marriage was reborn, and strengthened by the one who brought us together, Jesus Christ.  On the thirty-first day of January Mark and I not only recommitted our lives to Christ, but we also committed our marriage to Christ.  TOGETHER we walk, TOGETHER we dedicate our lives to Him.  Together we took the steps forward to committing our family to a church family.  What greater event, what greater thing, could a Christian couple possibly do than to be baptized together in a church in which God has led them to, and by a Pastor that speaks directly to their hearts every Sunday?  I don't think that anything I will, or can do, this year will top the experiences of today. 


As long as Mark and I follow the path God has made for us we will never be lost.  As long as we trust and have faith that our lives will always turn out right no matter how "hard" it may seem at times, we will never go astray.  There will be times when we don't understand why we must do something, but we have to do it anyway.  We can not see where the end of our path will lead, and we don't have to.  As long as we have faith, we don't need to understand, or see our paths... We must just walk the path in slow strides, taking one step at a time.  He will never lead us to a dead end, or leave us stranded in the dark on a cold night.  So, trust in the Lord.  I pray that you will walk the extraordinary path designed for your life, and that you will always trust in the one that loves you unconditionally.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33

Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Matthew 18:19-20



Acts 22:16: " And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

Acts 2:38: "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost

Day 15, 16, 17: BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

Note:  Since we've been so busy I haven't had that much time to edit my posts.  Also, since I've been so busy my posts have been lacking that zest they once had (check out older posts).  However, I'm certain that tomorrow's post will be full of life!

Our family has been so busy these past three days!... Christ has been a prevailing force in our lives, protecting us from any negative influences.  He has been a guiding light, and our great protector.  Not only has He been there for us, but He has also sent a few new friends our way... I guess to void out any of the negativity that came our way.   

Mark and I have a few exciting things coming up...You'll have to check back to see what's in store. Recently we've done so much that I can't even remember all of it.  Let's see,  on Thursday I went to another Red Cross meeting with my mother.  I guess this was our first "official" meeting.  It was exciting, and I've decided what I want to do with the Red Cross... Disaster Relief, and AFES.  AFES is basically answering phone calls from the comforts of my own home.  And, as far as being involved in Disaster Relief, I'm not 100% sure what all I will be doing.  Also, on Thursday Victoria gave Mum-Mum the heart we made for her.  After stuffing it we added a suction cup to it so that my mom could hang it on her window.  Although the suction cup fell off somewhere between the truck and my parent's front door, my mother loved it. 

Friday... Friday was interesting!  We had our first small flood.  My husband used the toilet, flushed, and left the bathroom.  Apparently the toilet kept running after Mark flushed.  This caused the water to over flow the bowl, and we had about 1/4 inch of water fill our bathroom and laundry area.  Mark, thank goodness, noticed the water before it had time to creep up the hallway.  We called a Plummer that had been here before.  He said that most likely one of the children had dropped a toy into the toilet... Long story short, Mark ended up removing the toilet and found something that was stuck in it.  It wasn't a toy... It was something that no one would believe would be able to clog a toilet!  And, I'm a little unsure as to how it was able to prevent the toilet from flushing properly.  But, Mark removed it, and it works perfectly once again.  And, of course Friday is grocery day... But, we did so much more than just grocery shopping!  Mark took half the day off from work so that we could take care of a few things that had to be dealt with immediately.  We got a lot of things done, but not everything.  Come Monday we will have it all completed, and our "ducks in a row."  

So, we've been pretty busy... And, although a lot of it has been "fun", and rewarding, I'm still looking forward to some REAL fun!  I have talked with my brother about going to play paint ball, and I've talked with my mom about going on a small boat trip on a locally famous sail boat.  Also, Mark and I have a few things that we would like to do together.  But, we've been so busy with other things, that we haven't focused on making definite plans for the "real" fun yet.  But, believe me, we'll get there, and do those things soon.  As for now we have something amazing planned for tomorrow, and I may possibly be doing something tonight that's a pretty big deal for me... So until then, live for Christ.  It's through him that my happiness is possible regardless of any obstacles that may come my way.  Learn to laugh at yourself, and what you can't control.  And, be comforted in the fact that Christ does it all for a purpose.  Sit back, relax,or go out to have fun.. No matter what your speed may be, have fun while living an extraordinary life!

God Bless!

Day 14: The Red Cross

Tonight my mom and I had orientation for the Red Cross.  I can not even begin to express the feelings of self-esteem, of accomplishment, of inspiration, and gratitude I had while sitting in the meeting.  There is only one greater feeling in this world than the feeling that comes from the thought or action of selflessly helping someone.  And, that is the feeling of being in the loving arms of my family.  For me, the greatest joys in life come from my husband, and my children.  They fill my life with so much happiness and love.  And, I enjoy spreading that love, and comfort that my family provides me to other's that need it.  From the orientation tonight I got the feeling that the Red Cross is the perfect place to do that! 

It was so awesome that my mother was there with me tonight.  Joining an organization like the Red Cross has been one of my mom's dreams since when she was a young girl.  So, it was absolutely amazing to see her begin to fulfill her dreams later on in life.  I feel so blessed that my mother and I have so many of the same hopes and dreams.  I feel so blessed, and thank God so much for the amazing things He's doing in our lives. And, I am so proud of the both of us for nurturing the seeds planted in our hearts.  All of our hopes, and dreams come from Christ.  He planted the seeds in our hearts, and I can't wait to watched them grow and blossom.

The Last Word On My In-Laws

Supposedly my in-laws have people from all over the country reading my blog.  And, supposedly "so many people" can't believe the way I'm treating them based on what I've said in my blog.  So, first let me say that the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" applies not only to the visual arts, but also to the written.  Writing is a form of art.  Therefore, people will draw their own conclusions from what they "see."  Also, if someone dislikes you they can twist your words, and form them to best suite themselves.  And, completely miss the point  you are making.  Now, I have to ask you what kind of person would recruit people to join them in a hate feast against someone?  If you listen to my in-laws, and truly believe what they say, then you obviously do not know them.  And, futhermore, you do not know me.  You and I have never met, or if we have it was briefly.  So, I invite you, whoever reads my blog to personally talk to me, not through the computer.  I invite you to see my face, and hear the tones in my voice... And, then draw your conclusion. 

Do not blindly follow what people say.  You do not know all the stories, and the ones you do know, you only know one side of them.  Also, do not pick apart every little thing about someone that labels themselves as "Christian".  A Christian is not a perfect person.  A Christian is a human being that has dedicated their life to Christ.  A Christian is not without sin, but they strive to be.  Do not pick apart someone to degrade them in order to make yourself look or feel better... If you need to feel good about yourself, if you are lacking something in your life... Then, I know who can help, and I invite you to meet with me to discuss salvation, and the ultimate unconditional love of the one that can lift your spirits and fulfill any void you may have in your life... Jesus Christ.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing

Titus 1:1-2

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time

Jeremiah 29:11-12

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you

Jeremiah 17:7-8

But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit

PROVERBS 15:15

All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.