Shirts for Shoes

My Crazy Adoption is selling Adoption T-shirts and Tom Davis has partnered with them. Every t-shirt you buy gives an orphan a pair of shoes!!! Kari Gibson and her family are AWESOME. I met them 2 summers ago right after they'd brought home their sweet Zoie. Their hearts and souls are passionate about Ethiopia, adoption, and orphans.

The last day to buy them is February 1 and they will get here in time for Valentine's Day!

So....$25 for a really cute shirt with the "Simply Love" Ethiopia theme. 2 different styles, in men, women, and children's sizes.

Support an orphan.

And wear them on Valentine's Day to show this great LOVE God has poured out on us.

You in? Me too! Click on the link below to order one!

Looking for the HOPE in Haiti

My motto for Guatemala after returning was: Showing Love. Finding Hope.

I have to admit that it's been hard for me to find the glimpses of hope in the news reports, videos, and blog posts about Haiti. I have been up late praying for the people, and I feel that God is doing a work that goes beyond Haiti. This brokeness and ache I feel is for the people of this world. But the Lord has been good in showing me HOPE. The tears will not stop after watching this video. So many emotions flooded through me as I watched it. However, as my heart breaks for the hurting people and suffering orphanages, it was impossible not to see the HOPE as children were reunited with their parents. It makes my heart ache for the day when that moment will be mine and I will give a child a home as they are. Someday. For now, though, I wait in HOPE for Haiti, HOPE for the orphans, and HOPE for this world. It is here now, and even through the trials we have a Cornerstone to stand on. In the trials, we know that ALWAYS we can rely on the fact that Christ still sits on the right hand of God. We are still forgiven and redeemed. And Jesus still loves us. That is all the HOPE any of us or any of the Haitians will ever need.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2010/01/22/obrien.orphan.journey.cnn.html

Dear FedEx Man

Dear FedEx Man,

I gave you a package to deliver on Monday night and it should be arriving at the destination today. If you didn't slip in this wintry weather. I prayed over that package alot before bringing it to you. It contains important letters and essays I worked hard on and a scholarship hinges on its prompt arrival. Please take good care of it and drive as fast as you can without slipping on the ice.

Thank you,

Molly

Thoughts on Haiti...

By now I think nearly every American has been inundated with headlines, news flashes, and articles about the crisis in Haiti.



I sat down on Sunday morning before church and flipped on the news for the first time since it'd happened. I lasted about 10 minutes. I just can't handle it. Could handle seeing all of the children from the orphanages laying on the dirt. I couldn't handle seeing the faces of these beautiful people crying out in agony. Couldn't handle seeing the hands and feet of people sticking out of the crushed buildings. Couldn't handle seeing those left behind trying to search through the rubble.



I just can't watch it. These are people with living, beating hearts whose lives have been literally ripped to shreds before their eyes in a matter of seconds. These are orphans, now homeless. These emotionally traumatized kids now have no family, no home, and in some cases, no food or water. There are babies who were on IV's whose lives are threatened if help doesn't come soon. I've heard of at least 2 orphanages that collapsed in southern Haiti killing 180 kids.

This morning, as I write, 133 children (60 under the age of 3) from one of the orphanages are walking 2 kilometers to the US Embassy. There will be no food, water, or facilities for these children while waiting to be processed at the Embassy. I think of the Israelites and how they had to walk and travel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, to get to the promised land. I do not understand why oh why these precious children have to make such a long hard journey. It sounds like something out of a movie, making 2 year olds walk 2 miles to go sit in the US Embassy for a day while waiting for a plane to take them somewhere safe. I do not understand this crisis in Haiti. But I do know that these children are coming HOME. God IS showing His goodness even in the midst of suffering. In the end, each one of us, even the Haitians, even these children, can say that God IS good. He is faithful. And as I sit here in my house pondering, praying, wondering, and worrying I can trust that He will provide.

Please join me in prayer today for the nannies, babies, and children who are making this journey. Pray for GRACIOUS workers at the Embassy. Pray for FAVOR on these children, that all the appropriate documents would go right over the desks and into the hands of people who can get these children home. Pray for the nannies that God would give them supernatural strength and patience as they care for these children. What a HUGE calling God has given them. Pray for the children, that their little hearts would be protected, that they would not be tired and hungry, that their minds would erase these few days, that He would make them brave. These children are courageous.


I've been doing some research on different organizations trying to figure out what would be the most efficient use of resources. The most reputable one I've found and one that I KNOW will help children is: http://compassion.com/helphaiti

Will you let the Lord break your heart for the people of the world today? Will you let Him burden your heart for the hurting, orphaned, starving, and sick? Pray for that today and join with the Body in prayer for these people.

Running running running running

My to-do list keeps getting longer, my neck muscles keep getting tenser, and my brain is getting stretchier from all of this learning.

But...I wanted to do a quick post. In the midst of my craziness.

Tommorow marks the first official day of my last semester of high school. Ever.

This whole journey has been so different than I ever imagined it to be. But I wouldn't trade it for an easier road.

All the changes, all the frustration, all the decisions have brought me to a deeper surrender and trust in God. And this is priceless.

So as I step into my last semester of being a senior in high school I am determined to finish this race strong.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1-3

Time to hit the books!

Just ONE...

I have read some very convicting, thought-provoking blog posts this past week and my brain and heart can't seem to get caught up.


I feel like I have let the Lord beautifully break me this week. He has brought me to tears more than once, and then has reminded me that there's more. I have found myself convicted, challenged, but not despairing. Rather, I feel like there is hope.



A Place Called Simplicity, Sharon's Page, Hope Now, I Am One, and The Oatsvall Team have all written about the orphans and changing the world. ONE child at a time. Through prayer, sponsorship, fundraising, adoption.



There were moments during my time with Jesus this week that I could hardly bear sitting in my warm, comfortable basement. Living my life of plenty. Living my life of comfortable routine. Knowing there's a team of kids from my town down in Guatemala serving the orphanage. I was like, "Lord, WHAT am I doing?!!! WHAT am I doing with my life?!"

And I really don't know. Again I am stuck at this place where there's not alot I can do but wait on the Lord and serve Him here. I think this is where the majority of American Christians are right at this moment. We have jobs, families, homes, mortgages, kids, friends. And you know what? That's OKAY. Really. We're really not all called to go and live in some foreign country. Granted, some people are. But I really do believe that God does call some to stay here and work and raise a family. After all, who else is going to parent the orphans that come home from these foreign countries or foster homes? And for us teens, we have a part here too! We are called to care for these children as well. One at a time. We can pray, we can sponsor a child (which is so rewarding), help fundraise for an adoptive family, or even help our families adopt.

And so....I don't have profound quotes or thoughts. But only the reminder that I am ONE person. You are ONE person. BUT we are part of ONE BIG church. Who serves ONE BIG GOD. And together, if little me and little you each pick ONE child. Just ONE. And the church joins in?

Well that my sweet friends will be ONE big revolution. One BIG change to get the 143 million into families.

Will you join me?

A Sweet Package

A package went out today to my little girl with a team going on a missions trip. I picked out a darling outfit, stickers, some treats, and made her a card. I put pictures in there of Claudia, me, my dad, and Caleb.

I wish I could be there to see her face light up when she gets it. But I am so thankful for people who go down there and love on those kids when I can't.

As I sealed the envelope and zipped the bag I think a piece of my heart is in that package going down to that sweet girl. I hope she knows just how much I love her.

Photography with my new camara...

Add learning my new camara to my list of 2010 goals!!! :)

Gearing Up for 2010

Are we ever ready?!

Really ready for this crazy journey called life?!

I really don't think we ever are. I don't think we ever will be. And I think God made it this way so that we would rely on Him and not our own readiness or independence.

So with that being said I am as ready as I'll ever be for 2010. I don't like making New Year's resolutions because I never keep them and get disappointed when I don't. But I do have some goals. And I'm getting excited for a really great year.

The next 12 months will hold alot of new seasons of life...graduating from high school, my last summer at home before college, going off to school somewhere...there's alot to think about. There have been times when my brain gets overwhelmed thinking about all that is to come, and my heart starts to tremble. But I look back on the journey so far and I see how God has refined me. Refined my heart, soul, and mind. He has provided in every way, more than I deserve. And so it is in this that I see hope, joy, peace, and contentment to come in Christ alone. For the next year, for the next season, for these goals I would like to meet. In Christ alone, I have been given everything I need to fulfill His calling and plan for my life.

Here's the goals...
1. Daily be digging into God's word, this precious gift that I take for granted of all too often.

2. Read......I have a whole list of Christian books I want to get through. Piper, Beth Moore....

3. Get back into journaling and poetry writing.

4. I started guitar over Christmas break and I'm determined not to forget what I've learned.