When I turned on my computer this morning, I saw the news...An iceberg has been dislodged in Antarctica and some scientists fear it will alter the way the currents bring oxygenated water to the rest of the oceans, not to mention this is another sign of global warming. A giant earthquake (one of the largest ever recorded) has hit Chile killing unknown numbers of people. Due to the earthquake in Chile, giant tsunami's now threaten the islands of Hawaii and other coasts including California, Alaska, and possibly all the way to Japan. The earth is under attack by itself!
The doom and gloom seems to go on forever. I couldn't help but sit here and think to myself how sad I would be if I felt this was it. Predictions are pouring in that "the end of days is near". What would that mean to me if I did not have Jesus Christ in my life? How devistating!! Think of that statement; "The END of days". What if this was it? What if my earthly life was the only life I would ever know?
I cannot be completely sad about that concept, for I have had a good life. Not that bad things have not happened to me, but overall I am pleased. I have an amazing husband who loves me dearly, two beautiful children who brighten my life with every day of their existance, I have a wonderful and supportive family that I love with all of my heart and I know loves me. I have a roof over my head, food on my table and clothes on my back. I would consider my life pretty good.
But what if this was it? I shudder to even say those words and try to imagine! Without the hope of another life, without the hope of Christ and eternal life in Heaven, I can easily see how people are drawn into the doom of the world. Why not do whatever you want to do? The world is ending soon, better live it up while you have a chance, right? Being good is hard! Doing the right thing isn't always the path of least resistance. If this was it, and there were no reprecussions for our actions, then I am sure many of us would be drowning in satan's melting pot of sin! (*note I chose not to give satan a capital in his name)
Guess what, though? This IS NOT it!! This is not the end. The end of "days" on earth is near, but eternity is just around the corner. An eternity in Heaven with peace and happiness and love. A world without sin and without satan.
It is so hard to imagine! But think of this. What would you consider the best day of your life? A day when everything was perfect, and all of your dreams came true. A day when you did not feel the presence of evil anywhere around you, but only felt comfort and love. Maybe you cannot think of a full day. Maybe you can think of a moment in time. Any way you can think of it, Heaven will not even come CLOSE to the bliss that you felt at your most wonderful moment! We can't imagine what it will be like because it is more than our earthly minds can handle.
I do know this. No matter what happens on this earth. No matter what trials I go through. My God is with me through it all. He will never leave me alone and He will not allow me to go through more than I can bear. This earth is not my home, it is just a stop along the way to eternal life. We have the choice to make the decision for our future with our actions here. We can chose to be faithful servants and cling to our God or we can chose to live a life of sin and follow satan. No matter what path you have walked or are walking now, it is not too late. God is with us, even through our sin. God forgives us, if we truly ask for His forgiveness. God loves us, in spite of the life we live. We are all sinners, Christians and non-Christians. The difference is, Christians have Christs blood to cover our sins and keep us clean. If we give our lives over to Christ, even though we will fall and fail many times, we still carry the hope of eternal life.
I do not fear this world. I do not look at the worldy issues and feel hopeless. My hope is in Jesus Christ! No matter the issues that are plastered on the news, I find Good News in God. And that, my friends, gives me peace through all of the chaos.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
What an awesome God we serve!
I do believe that everyone in the Early household has finally gotten over the vomiting virus! Praise the Lord!! I was not sure I could clean up anymore bodily fluids that contained stomach acid and PCF (previously chewed food)!! Whew! It seems that Eric and I dodged the bullet on this one, too. I am not sure how, exactly, since I felt like I was rolling in the grossness of it all for about 5 days. Maybe it was my mad hand washing skills Hey, a girls GOT to remember SOMETHING from nursing school!
We heard some totally awesome news today from some friends of ours at church. They are friends with a missionary family that has been in Africa for several years. Here's there story...
The missionary family (The Glissons) have been in Africa for several years and their contract ended with the church they were working for and they were preparing to head home to the US. With them they were bringing their children (natural and a daughter they had adopted from Africa) and a child they were foster parenting with the intent to adopt from Africa. Then the earthquake in Haiti hit. Normally, this would not have been an issue with them, but due to the issue of child trafficking and the increase since the earthquake, the US decided to change it's laws about bringing children who are not FULLY adopted into the US. The way the adoption system is in Africa, you must be a foster parent for 36 months before the adoption can be finalized. The law used to be that you had to remain in Africa for that full 36 months, but recently it was changed to state that you could take the child with you to another country, but the adoption would not be complete until the 36 month period was over. Well, the Glissons were only about a year into their 36 month foster parenting when they were told of the new law in the US. They also had every belonging on a ship headed for the US, no home, no job, no money...but they had their faith!
They went to the US and pleaded for an exception. They had the paperwork stating they were fostering until the probationary period was over, but that was not enough. The US would not allow them to bring this child in the country without legal documents stating that he was THEIRS. **sidebar**I understand the reasoning, but I still feel that if you have legitimate paperwork there should be some exception to the rule...but they didn't so, on with the story** This left them with 2 options. 1--Stay in Africa and move in with the sweet woman from the church who offered to share her hut (yes, I said hut and meant H-U-T) with the entire family and try to make it work even though they had no income or 2--Try their hands with the courts in Africa.
#2 it was! They were going to give their best and plead their case and place the issue in God's hands. They knew, no matter what, this child was theirs and he was going to remain theirs. If it meant staying in Africa for another 2 years or if God's will was for them to return to the US.
Well, their court day came. At 8 am they entered the court room and sat and waited their turn. Mr. Glisson described the uncomfortable wood benches they sat on while they waited and listening to the never ending cases over land issues. How trivial those issues seem when you are waiting on a decision about your future!! At 3 pm it was their turn. After their attorney plead their case, the judge asked for a 20 minute recess to think it all through. They waited and waited and waited. How long and miserable that wait must have been.
45 minutes later, the judge returned. Now, before I tell you what he said, let me tell you...They had 27 months left on their foster parenting term. 27 months. If they had 2 months left, they may have had a 1% chance of the judge allowing the adoption to go through early. But they still had 27 months. The odds were NOT in their favor.
Forty-five minutes later, the judge returned...Mr. Glisson said it best
"After 45 long, suspenseful minutes we were called back to his chambers. He stated that what we were asking was very unusual and not something that is really written into the law. He then went on to say that because we have already adopted Ansley and have obviously taken good care of her, because we received "high flying" recommendations, because we are the only family this boy has ever known, and because if we don't care for him he will likely become a street kid, he was granting our request and waiving the final 27 months and giving us a full and final adoption order immediately!"
Did you read that?!?!? IMMEDIATELY!! Who can read this and not swell with emotion?! Who can listen to those words and not feel God rushing from the page?!?! How awesome is our God? I ask again, How AWESOME is our GOD!?!
This family had nothing to hold onto but faith and each other. In the end, God had a plan for them and His plan was for them to be together and to return to the US.
I do not know the Glissons, I only know their story. I tell you what, though, if I ever get the chance to meet them, I am going to hug their necks like they are my momma! I am so incredibly happy for them. I am so incredibly happy for their son! Most of all, I am so proud to be able to be witness to such an awesome miracle by our Heavenly Father. This was nothing short of a miracle.
People...know that God is good and He is alive and present! Prayers are answered every day. Miracles do happen and can happen and will happen if you believe.
Thank you for letting me share that story with you today. I hope that it has moved you at least a fraction as much as it has moved me!
We heard some totally awesome news today from some friends of ours at church. They are friends with a missionary family that has been in Africa for several years. Here's there story...
The missionary family (The Glissons) have been in Africa for several years and their contract ended with the church they were working for and they were preparing to head home to the US. With them they were bringing their children (natural and a daughter they had adopted from Africa) and a child they were foster parenting with the intent to adopt from Africa. Then the earthquake in Haiti hit. Normally, this would not have been an issue with them, but due to the issue of child trafficking and the increase since the earthquake, the US decided to change it's laws about bringing children who are not FULLY adopted into the US. The way the adoption system is in Africa, you must be a foster parent for 36 months before the adoption can be finalized. The law used to be that you had to remain in Africa for that full 36 months, but recently it was changed to state that you could take the child with you to another country, but the adoption would not be complete until the 36 month period was over. Well, the Glissons were only about a year into their 36 month foster parenting when they were told of the new law in the US. They also had every belonging on a ship headed for the US, no home, no job, no money...but they had their faith!
They went to the US and pleaded for an exception. They had the paperwork stating they were fostering until the probationary period was over, but that was not enough. The US would not allow them to bring this child in the country without legal documents stating that he was THEIRS. **sidebar**I understand the reasoning, but I still feel that if you have legitimate paperwork there should be some exception to the rule...but they didn't so, on with the story** This left them with 2 options. 1--Stay in Africa and move in with the sweet woman from the church who offered to share her hut (yes, I said hut and meant H-U-T) with the entire family and try to make it work even though they had no income or 2--Try their hands with the courts in Africa.
#2 it was! They were going to give their best and plead their case and place the issue in God's hands. They knew, no matter what, this child was theirs and he was going to remain theirs. If it meant staying in Africa for another 2 years or if God's will was for them to return to the US.
Well, their court day came. At 8 am they entered the court room and sat and waited their turn. Mr. Glisson described the uncomfortable wood benches they sat on while they waited and listening to the never ending cases over land issues. How trivial those issues seem when you are waiting on a decision about your future!! At 3 pm it was their turn. After their attorney plead their case, the judge asked for a 20 minute recess to think it all through. They waited and waited and waited. How long and miserable that wait must have been.
45 minutes later, the judge returned. Now, before I tell you what he said, let me tell you...They had 27 months left on their foster parenting term. 27 months. If they had 2 months left, they may have had a 1% chance of the judge allowing the adoption to go through early. But they still had 27 months. The odds were NOT in their favor.
Forty-five minutes later, the judge returned...Mr. Glisson said it best
"After 45 long, suspenseful minutes we were called back to his chambers. He stated that what we were asking was very unusual and not something that is really written into the law. He then went on to say that because we have already adopted Ansley and have obviously taken good care of her, because we received "high flying" recommendations, because we are the only family this boy has ever known, and because if we don't care for him he will likely become a street kid, he was granting our request and waiving the final 27 months and giving us a full and final adoption order immediately!"
Did you read that?!?!? IMMEDIATELY!! Who can read this and not swell with emotion?! Who can listen to those words and not feel God rushing from the page?!?! How awesome is our God? I ask again, How AWESOME is our GOD!?!
This family had nothing to hold onto but faith and each other. In the end, God had a plan for them and His plan was for them to be together and to return to the US.
I do not know the Glissons, I only know their story. I tell you what, though, if I ever get the chance to meet them, I am going to hug their necks like they are my momma! I am so incredibly happy for them. I am so incredibly happy for their son! Most of all, I am so proud to be able to be witness to such an awesome miracle by our Heavenly Father. This was nothing short of a miracle.
People...know that God is good and He is alive and present! Prayers are answered every day. Miracles do happen and can happen and will happen if you believe.
Thank you for letting me share that story with you today. I hope that it has moved you at least a fraction as much as it has moved me!
Monday, February 22, 2010
I was so looking forward to this past weekend! Abbi had Friday off from school and the weather was supposed to be warm and sunny (yes...that is NOT a typo, I said warm AND sunny!!). I had all of the illusions of grandeur to get the next mound of baby clothes tagged and hung for the consignment sale and more of our "junk" gone through upstairs. I couldn't wait! I should have known better.
Friday was a good day, but we didn't get much done. Abbi and I vegged out most of the morning while Kati was in school and then we all three hung out that evening since Eric had to work. All the real fun started in the wee hours of Saturday morning though!
About 1:45 am, I was awakened by the pitter-pattering of no-so-little feet heading through the living room towards my bedroom. I also managed to hear a frail and weak "Momma" from Abbi. "Uh Oh" I thought and Uh Oh was right. I leapt from the bed and towards the door and greeted Abbi, hold the garbage can from her bathroom, just as she began to throw up!!
My poor sweet, big girl was sick!! And very, very, V-E-R-Y sick she was!! I quickly made a bed for her on the couch so that she would not wake Kati and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. She did not want me to leave her, so I lay at the opposite end of the couch when I wasn't assisting her. I would say I "slept" there all night, but sleep we certainly were not able to do. For the first 4 hours (yes, I timed it) she threw up every 4-7 minutes! Mind you, after the first three or four times her little tummy was empty, so the rest was just that horrible heaving! Around 6 am, she slowed down and would only heave about every 15 minutes from that point on, she slowly vomited less and less.
As a mother, I felt completely helpless. Here was my sweet little girl, sicker than I have ever seen her and there was absolutely nothing I could do to help her! My heart broke for her all night long. The next morning I was able to speak with the nurse at the doctor’s office and she told me that if it persisted they would call her in Phenergan...HALLELUJAH! She suddenly stopped throwing up, so I did not call the doctor back while they were still in the office...after all, she was not throwing up any longer. That was a huge mistake. As soon as the doctor’s office closed (literally 12:02) she began again, with the same furry as before! I called the on call nurse, praying that she would call in the medication. Apparently, everything that is said by the nurse in the doctor’s office goes out the window and no longer applies after hours, though. I was quite irritated with this woman, as I am sure you can imagine. At this point it was 4 pm (it took forever for them to call me back) and my baby had been throwing up for nearly 13 hours and she just said to "Let it work it's course" !?!?!?!?! Well, fortunately, we were at the tail end of it all and she calmed down around 5 pm and was good from there on out.
Well, our beautiful Saturday was shot, because I slept when I could and took care of Abbi the rest of the time...Eric had reserves, so he wasn't there to join in on the "fun". Sunday, we rested most of the day and did manage to get out to the shed and organize some things for a few hours in the evening, but nothing that I really needed to do.
That brings me to Sunday night. I ran to the store to grab some things for lunches this week and as I walked back in the front door I stepped back in time...this time though, it was a different child. My poor little Kati bug was now the one with this evil demon!! Kati can't afford to get sick like this, the wind already just about carries her away!
Last night was much better than I anticipated, though. Kati, while very sick, did not seem to get it as bad as Abbi. The issue I had with Kati is, she did not wake up before she started throwing up, though, so I had to be on my toes and notice the cues that she was getting sick again so we could at least make her head over the trash can!! Kati has slept almost all day today, but seems to be much, much better this evening. She is at least no longer vomiting!
So, now that the kids are on the road to recovery, the big question is...Who is next?? Momma or Daddy? It seems I would be the logical choice since I have basically rolled in the kids yuck since Friday, but I have decided that I am NOT going to get this. So I am thinking that Daddy is the next in line! I guess time will tell. And I will keep you posted on whether will power will keep away the throw-up demons!!!
Friday was a good day, but we didn't get much done. Abbi and I vegged out most of the morning while Kati was in school and then we all three hung out that evening since Eric had to work. All the real fun started in the wee hours of Saturday morning though!
About 1:45 am, I was awakened by the pitter-pattering of no-so-little feet heading through the living room towards my bedroom. I also managed to hear a frail and weak "Momma" from Abbi. "Uh Oh" I thought and Uh Oh was right. I leapt from the bed and towards the door and greeted Abbi, hold the garbage can from her bathroom, just as she began to throw up!!
My poor sweet, big girl was sick!! And very, very, V-E-R-Y sick she was!! I quickly made a bed for her on the couch so that she would not wake Kati and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. She did not want me to leave her, so I lay at the opposite end of the couch when I wasn't assisting her. I would say I "slept" there all night, but sleep we certainly were not able to do. For the first 4 hours (yes, I timed it) she threw up every 4-7 minutes! Mind you, after the first three or four times her little tummy was empty, so the rest was just that horrible heaving! Around 6 am, she slowed down and would only heave about every 15 minutes from that point on, she slowly vomited less and less.
As a mother, I felt completely helpless. Here was my sweet little girl, sicker than I have ever seen her and there was absolutely nothing I could do to help her! My heart broke for her all night long. The next morning I was able to speak with the nurse at the doctor’s office and she told me that if it persisted they would call her in Phenergan...HALLELUJAH! She suddenly stopped throwing up, so I did not call the doctor back while they were still in the office...after all, she was not throwing up any longer. That was a huge mistake. As soon as the doctor’s office closed (literally 12:02) she began again, with the same furry as before! I called the on call nurse, praying that she would call in the medication. Apparently, everything that is said by the nurse in the doctor’s office goes out the window and no longer applies after hours, though. I was quite irritated with this woman, as I am sure you can imagine. At this point it was 4 pm (it took forever for them to call me back) and my baby had been throwing up for nearly 13 hours and she just said to "Let it work it's course" !?!?!?!?! Well, fortunately, we were at the tail end of it all and she calmed down around 5 pm and was good from there on out.
Well, our beautiful Saturday was shot, because I slept when I could and took care of Abbi the rest of the time...Eric had reserves, so he wasn't there to join in on the "fun". Sunday, we rested most of the day and did manage to get out to the shed and organize some things for a few hours in the evening, but nothing that I really needed to do.
That brings me to Sunday night. I ran to the store to grab some things for lunches this week and as I walked back in the front door I stepped back in time...this time though, it was a different child. My poor little Kati bug was now the one with this evil demon!! Kati can't afford to get sick like this, the wind already just about carries her away!
Last night was much better than I anticipated, though. Kati, while very sick, did not seem to get it as bad as Abbi. The issue I had with Kati is, she did not wake up before she started throwing up, though, so I had to be on my toes and notice the cues that she was getting sick again so we could at least make her head over the trash can!! Kati has slept almost all day today, but seems to be much, much better this evening. She is at least no longer vomiting!
So, now that the kids are on the road to recovery, the big question is...Who is next?? Momma or Daddy? It seems I would be the logical choice since I have basically rolled in the kids yuck since Friday, but I have decided that I am NOT going to get this. So I am thinking that Daddy is the next in line! I guess time will tell. And I will keep you posted on whether will power will keep away the throw-up demons!!!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Why am I such a bad blogger??
Wow...so I am totally bad at keeping up with this, but I want to so badly. I am refusing to give up. I guess I need to come at it from a different angle!
We are finally "thawing" from the snow storms that blanketed our area of North Carolina. I must admit, I am a little sad to see it go. The kids were out of school three days last week and had two 2-hour dealys. I loved having them at home. It was so nice to snuggle and sleep in and play in the snow...why is it that it always feels warmer when there is snow on the ground? From this experience, I have completely decided that 2-hour delays are my FAVORITE sort of school day! But alas, all good things must come to an end, and with no snow in sight, it looks like we are back to the daily grind this week.
Today has been a great start to a new week. Church was great! We raised over $7,000 for Haiti and had a very informative Sunday School class. After lunch, everyone napped. A day when you can get a nap in is ALWAYS a great day, in my book:). It SuperBowl Sunday, so no evening services/commitments tonight, so we will be taking it easy!!
Maybe I'll get better at this, maybe not. I'm going to work this week on what I should be writting.
TTFN!
We are finally "thawing" from the snow storms that blanketed our area of North Carolina. I must admit, I am a little sad to see it go. The kids were out of school three days last week and had two 2-hour dealys. I loved having them at home. It was so nice to snuggle and sleep in and play in the snow...why is it that it always feels warmer when there is snow on the ground? From this experience, I have completely decided that 2-hour delays are my FAVORITE sort of school day! But alas, all good things must come to an end, and with no snow in sight, it looks like we are back to the daily grind this week.
Today has been a great start to a new week. Church was great! We raised over $7,000 for Haiti and had a very informative Sunday School class. After lunch, everyone napped. A day when you can get a nap in is ALWAYS a great day, in my book:). It SuperBowl Sunday, so no evening services/commitments tonight, so we will be taking it easy!!
Maybe I'll get better at this, maybe not. I'm going to work this week on what I should be writting.
TTFN!
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