Author Archives: admin BUDS… Last week we had a fun little playdate with some of our buds. We had a little picnic with the Owens Family and I just love how our kids all have little friends when we hang with their family… Here is everyone minus one of the Owens crew… Shelly and I were chatting and […]  We had a crazy fun weekend…full of so much action that nothing was caught on camera…EXCEPT some very important things that just had to be snapped in some fashion on my iPhone. Isaac insisted on going over to Mrs.Kimberly’s house to the Chalk family adoption yard sale…he said he needed to do anything and everything […] Love it! Cannot wait to see ITY high fivin is friend at the homecoming. Gotta get some of those tee pees when we return to the States. And you know how I feel about butterflies. God has used them in so many ways in my life to reveal Himself. Love & Blessings from Hong Kong, Kim Thanks for the beautiful reminder Laney! Your kids are cute & smart 🙂 BONUS DEAL!!! Loved the wonderful lesson from babes!!! My kids teach me soo very very much!  What is a girl to do when it’s camouflage day…and they say “no pink camo”…green only. I mean…some times a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! SOOO…Loo-bear and I got out the sewing machine and whipped out a little ditty… How fun is that? And I wish I could take the design credit–but […] Adorable! Love your thoughts. God knows your heart. Don’t let someone else bring you down. ya gotta ignore the CRAZIES of the world 🙂 They are satan in disguise…and sadly, they dont’ even know it half of the time!! stay strong my friend!!! kj Having a blog and writing about our lives always open us up to opinions and criticisms. I personally never feel the need to address them. Especially when it’s obvious that the person came by 1 time. . . and probably with the intent on being hurtful. You and God knows what’s in your heart. . . and that is what is important. I’ve had people say, “but there is so much need here.” And what I say is this. . . “Try to fill that need.” Because the people I hear it from are people doing nothing. I felt called to Ethiopia, and I’ll never regret that decision. It doesn’t mean I don’t see the need here. I see the need EVERYWHERE, and I’m doing what I personally can. Okay, this got long. . . You know who you are, and you know who you want to get all the glory. . . and that is what’s important. 🙂 OK so THIS is why the Lord laid Isaiah 50-58 on my heart late last night after a much needed movie night with the girls! Sometimes sin & guilt in people’s hearts causes them to judge but God will work on others through your example as long as you stay focused on what is right. God is convicting that gentleman’s heart about something & it hurts so he lashed out. It’s okay & it is meant to be for him to work through his own pain to “understanding”. I will be praying for you both that God will fill him with peace & that you will remember that GOD USES YOU AS A LIGHT so darkness will only be FLEETING when it touches you. I have a very close family member who doesn’t understand why I feel the need to “help LOCAL families who have NOTHING” & boy she just doesn’t understand why Africa, Holeta, orphans & Wiphan are important to me. “Giving to others” to her is “TAKING from my own KIDS”. I call it “PASSING THE BLESSINGS ON” yet she calls it “a SIN to deprive my children”(as she drips in diamonds). My kids have a very, very nice life. Yet the devil knows that her judgement hurts so he makes it happen often, but that’s what being a “stranger to this world” is all about. That means you are doing something right girl! Fabulous job!!!!! Hi Andrea! I have been following your blog for awhile since we have started feeling God’s call to adoption. Just wanted to give you a positive comment in light of the thoughtless one from “John”. You have been a regular source of encouragement for me as we go through this process. God is using your personal reflections to encourage and help many! I am one! Thanking God for your heart and faithfulness to His call in your life! I have been reading your blog for sometime now. I love how your heart overflows with the love of Christ. I have been checking frequently for post 5 of the best years of your life….did I miss it? I second all these comments. Keep fighting the good fight!:) Sweet Andrea, Sigh, I read this and thought …I wish I knew scripture better…more quickly…easier to find…So, I knew which I wanted to say to this blog but, not sure how I would find it…I walk over to flip through my Bible and Sweet Jesus has me open the page to the EXACT scripture on my heart to share and affirm you…Spiritual Gifts 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 it says it all ! Each of us have been given a gift …all are the work of one and the same Spirit and He gives them to each person just as He determines! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve had some really hurtful comments left on my blog over the last couple years (thankfully only a couple) but after crying in my keyboard I came to the same realization you did — must be doing something right!! Satan must HATE it!! haha Then it just made me more passionate to keep on going! Thanks for sharing the links where we can help out. I’m praying for all my fellow southerners today. We were grateful to only endure tornado watches and storms…. I’m just heartbroken for those who weren’t so lucky. God be with them. PS – your children are adorable and your sewing skills are amazing!! 🙂 I just love your blog AND your heart.. so keep doing exactly what you’re doing! Hi Andrea, Secondly, you and your blog have been such an inspiration to me. I see my life changing (trying to follow Gods plan for me) and you have been a great source of encouragement to me. I actually feel sorry for “John” because he obviously blind to your heart and more importantly God’s heart. Isaiah 51:7-58 (posted a few comments above) speaks directly to this situation. Hurtful comments don’t always come from strangers. As I learn more and try to follow God’s plan for me, I feel the looks and hear the comments from family and friends who don’t understand. Andrea, our service this morning was about hearing God’s whispers and sure enough, He spoke to me through your words tonight. Yes, the Lord has given us different gifts to be used for his glory for sure! Just imagine how many others have been impacted by what you have shared on your blog & how happy this must make Him! This was my response when I had someone make a similar statement to me: We are all human, love knows no boundaries and neither should our compassion. God does not favor Americans in need over the poor, needy & hungry in other parts of the world. Instead of judging others that are doing something positive in the world, we should look within and get involved in helping in whatever way our heart leads us. Hello, dear friend. First, let me just tell you that your creativity is endless! I bought a friend’s sewing machine at her yard sale before moving. Hoping one day I will learn how to sew! 🙂 Secondly, I am so HAPPY to see that you covered yourself with God’s armor! Let the enemy’s darts and arrows continue to bounce right off of that armor! You are covered in Christ! You are walking His very path set before you. Keep walking this direction that you know is lead by our Heavenly Father! Keep believing in who you are in Christ and in the direction He has pointed you! God is using you in many many ways, so of course the enemy will use others to try to thwart God’s plan for your life. Keep on keeping on! Don’t look back. Keep your eyes on Him. He will continue to direct your paths. And I will enjoy continuing to follow you, watching where He takes you! Your family is beautiful and I enjoy getting to “know” them. Isaac is a reminder to me of God’s faithfulness. Your faith is inspiring. Keep looking UP, my friend, and allow no one the ability to distract that divine focus………….Blessings to you!…………….. P.S…..SOOOOOO GLAD you are safe from the tornado too! God is GOOD! Our church is sending some people down and more will follow in the near future! *HUGS* SOOOO thankful that baby Mark is NOW home and an official member of the Cain family!!! Jeremiah and Mark flew home THIS SATURDAY…and we are SO PUMPED to have a new member in our African Fellowship group!!! They’ve been coming for months…and we’ve been all anxiously waiting Mark coming home! Sweet Sara stayed here with […] Just beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!! So excited for everyone to meet Mark! and for him to meet everyone!!! Tried to leave a comment on your newest post about Laney’s skirt, but it won’t let me. It is adorable! Love your thoughts. God knows your heart. Don’t let someone else bring you down.  It’s been over FOUR years since I traveled to Zambia. Yes–that’s right…FOUR YEARS. And it’s time!!! (People…even Richard…is always surprised when I remind them of that as they here of “us” going all the time…but HE goes for “us”!) Something powerful happened when I was there four years ago. My heart…fell in love–with little ones…with […] This just brings tears to my eyes – I share the fear of flying and the fear of leaving my babies…that would feel like a HUGE sacrifice to me too. God bless you on this journey and I can’t wait to hear about every single detail! Amazing to see what the Lord has done through your faith in following Him and exciting to see what He will do through it on this next adventure!! A privilege to witness it sister! I’m planning on going to Ethiopia next year and I too have a fear of flying and leaving my babies (even though they’re in the 20’s). How do you get past the fear? I know God has a plan for my life but my fears seem to constantly be in my way. So very excited for you! My life is echoing a similar story. The hubs and I are leading a mission trip to Haiti in August to love on orphans. OK with flying, but so sad to leave our two girls. May God bless your fundraising and your preparation. YAY!!! So excited for you, Andrea! Can’t wait to see what all God does through your upcoming trip! Oh I so get this. I have had a couple of really bad flying experiences…BUT the Lord was faithful. Honestly, when God led us to Ethiopia a year ago I thought, “Oh good! Only one of us has to go and my husband loves to fly!” Then WHAM! They changed it to two trips and looks like we are BOTH going now.:) This is where the rubber meets the road. I can think of few things harder for me than getting on a high-speeding silver bullet, crammed with other people in the sky, alone for 20+ hours while my kiddos and hubby are at home. Add some turbulence and my face is in the barf bag. Even though I know God did not give me a spirit of fear, there are times that it is an all out fight to TRUST (especially when turbulence hits). I’d give birth naturally again and again if I didn’t have to get on a plane…but then I think, MY LIFE IS NOT MY OWN so why should it matter? Here’s a verse I’ve been clinging to, knowing that I’m going to El Salvador with Compassion International this fall and then to Ethiopia (hopefully next year) to bring our baby home. Ps. 34:4, “I called to the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” God bless as you step out in faith! I can’t wait to see what God uses you to do on your trip! what is wrong with you people…there are 1000’s of kids right here that need help….you do this for your selfs….so you can say look what I did look how good I am….god sees through this… -JOHN |
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by admin
“B”eautiful post. Love those shots of ITY and all of his personality shining thru. And the reminder about protective “thorns” in our lives.
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim
So beautiful – your words and those flowers! Is Laney riding her bike with no training wheels? WOW! And can’t wait for post five! 🙂
What a sweet post! I needed this today, because I am really feeling the thorns of waiting on our little one and the roses seem so far away.
Beautiful roses! And LOVE all the cute pics of the kids! Looks like it was a great weekend! 🙂
Oh, how this post speaks to me today. Amidst the thorns of our own sweet adoption, I look forward to the roses. It feels as though every time we should be close to a referral, the wait gets extended. Ugh. I love how you remind me that many beautiful things begin with hurtful things. Trusting that God’s timing is perfect……and that He is building us a fragrant rose garden in life as we wait! Blessings, girl…….