The other part of James 1:27

So often when we read James 1:27, we focus on only one part of it - "care for orphans". But that's not the whole verse... take a look.

James 1:27 -Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

It says to 'care for orphans and widows in their distress'. That's always bothered me.  Almost everywhere in the Bible where it says to care for the orphan or fatherless, it also says to care for the widow.

Yet, I don't believe we as the church (my church personally, and the church as a whole) have done a very good job of obeying the other part of the command in James 1:27.

That's why I was thrilled when someone in our church put together a work day to help out our dear friend Betty! She needed some help preparing her house for the winter, and since she is always one of the first to show up to help others (she has donated many things to Handiwork for Lilly, not everything is listed on our blog yet...), it was wonderful to bless her in return!

Last Saturday about 20 people showed up to help at her house, and we got a lot accomplished!!! The cleaning the inside was done before lunch time, but the painting and outside work lasted well into the afternoon.

I just got access to the pictures (I didn't take any) as I'm putting together a board thing for church on Sunday, so here's some of my favorites in random order. All pictures taken by Auntie Crackers Debbie G and Brenda M. :)

Rachel.. my BFF and partner in crime!

Mesa Papa... he was up very high on the ladder, a LOT... which is very impressive for him! ;)

Nana aka Anita and I... we all love her! She's our babysitter when I'm not around, and she's a tiny bit crazy! ;)

Miss Betty herself! :)

Umm... maybe she's more than a tiny bit crazy?? hehe Love you Nana!!

Bag feet... the person to whom they belong wore old pants, but forgot to wear old shoes, and didn't want to ruin their good shoes.

Yes, that person would be me. ;)

Waiting Thursday(??): Allen

Yup, changing it up this week - Waiting Thursday. ;)

Sweet Allen...

 He's so tiny...

 So precious...

 So sick...

And so in need of a family.

Allen is 3 years old, and is not doing well as you can see from his pictures. He's soo tiny, so pale. He has Down syndrome, and because of that extra chromosome, he is in an orphanage, where he probably isn't getting the best care.

He is at great risk, he may not make it much longer. As hard as that is to hear, it's the cold truth.

Some info about him....

Allen 12G
pope-12
Boy, born January 2009
Eyes: Gray
Hair: blond
Nature: Quiet

This baby’s situation is URGENT! With each picture he gets smaller and paler!  More photos available

Matthew 25:31-46 says:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Will we feed the hungry, bring water to the thirsty, clothe those without, and look after the sick? Take care of the window, and take care of/bring home the orphan??

Will we obey the command made so clear to us in this passage?

Let's be sheep, not goats.

Allen's life depends on it.


My friend Rachel has also fallen in love with Allen, and she wrote posts (that you should go read) about him here and here.

We failed.

Remember when I posted this picture???

Sadly.... All 3 aged out.

They are no longer adoptable because they have reached the age of 16, and they will spend the rest.of.their.life in a mental.institution.

Harmony...

Harmony is in a different country, but she also aged out earlier this year before we could find a family for her. 

Friends, we failed them. We needed to find them a family. We were their only chance at a future.

They are voiceless, they have no voice. It was our job to be their voice.

We weren't their voice. We didn't yell enough.

These 12 children are in the same place/region as Trina, Jared, and Stefan. All of them will age out soon. Let's not fail them too.

Click here for more info

Please share the above picture and this link that goes with it or share this post!!!!

The region these children are in is relatively easy. Parents can be no more than 45 years older than the child, up to 6 children already in the home, total cost approx $35k (reletively "cheap" for this country), and MULTIPLE UNRELATED CHILDREN CAN BE ADOPTED TOGETHER! Not saying if you decide to adopt one of these children, you have to get more than one, but they CAN be adopted together! For more info on this region go here.

Hope, Bartholemew, Joy, and Faith age out next year, but they need families NOW so we can make sure the family can get their in time, but it would be ideal for ALL 12 children to find a family now.

I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself if we fail these children too!! PLEASE help me spread the word!!!

Goodbyes. Coming Home. Promises Kept.

Saying goodbye.

Why does it have to be so hard?

No matter who you are leaving or where you are going, goodbyes are never joyous times (so maybe there are times when you are glad someone is leaving, but that's besides the point).

I was dreading it since I arrived at Spitz's three weeks ago.

Saying goodbye to the people and place I've fallen in love with. Leaving my second home. (Actually third home, sorry Michelle.)

I've been home a few days now - it's good to be home, but I still miss that family something awful!

Is it crazy that I check the time throughout the day, add an hour, and think about what they are doing at the moment?

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Since we left the house soo early Thurs morning, I had to say goodbye to the littles Wednesday night. We attempted some pictures with Caleb laughing at us over skype in the background.

I think they came out pretty well considering we were dealing with 5 toddlers who were being uncooperative since they were over tired, or half asleep. ;)

The best picture of 10! I love this picture, and these kids!!!!
L to R: Gavin, Lyla, me, Sara, Belle, and Owen

The 3 Ukrainian Spitz's!

My current favorite picture - me with the Princess herself!!!

She was cracking up!!

At the airport - Summer and I both happened to wear our Lyla tshirts, so we attempted a picture, but baby girl wasn't too thrilled with that idea!

Take 2... it'll have to do! :)

Shortly before I said goodbye to these two!!

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My trip home - it was slightly eventful. Apparently planes can't fly and they get delay when the weather is bad. Lesson learned.

My first flight got delayed over 1 hr, which caused me to miss my second flight altogether. So even after I was put on a different flight for my second flight, that one got delayed awhile too. I ended up getting home 4-5 hours later than planned. Ohh well...

My first flight was almost empty so I had not only the seat next to me, but the whole row to myself!! I was laughing about the fact the people in 1st class were sitting next to eachother, 4 to a row, when I could basically lay down and stretch out all I wanted! And I got to read this book most of the way home! I'm about half way though it, and it's SOOOO good!! Thank you Summer for getting it for me!!

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When Lyla became available again, she found a family, lost that family, and then many many people were yelling for another family for her. When that family, the Spitz's stepped up to adopt her. I wrote this post about rainbows and God keeping His promises.

Friday there was an almost identical rainbow, and I was reminded of God's promise in John 14:18, and how he kept his promise to Lyla. He made sure she was not left to die as orphan.

She is now home. She is now loved. She is now cherished. She is now spoiled rotten, and she knows it too, but she deserves it!!!

Welcome home Lyla Love!!! Words can not express how happy I am that you home with the family that loves you soo very much and was meant to be yours from the very beginning!!!

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And! You can follow Lyla's journey as she transistions into her new family and gets here heart fixed here on I  Love You to the Moon ad Back!!!!!

Last few days with the Spitz's

I got home last night. I'll blog more about it later, but let's just say I jinxed myself asking for prayers for an uneventful trip!! ;) To catch up on my blogging (since my computer was being crazy my last few days NY), here are pictures from the last few days I spent with Lyla and the Spitz family. :)

These two love their teethers!!

This daddy's love for his daughter is amazing....

Sisters!!

Feet Wars!! Between Lyla and Gavin!

Lyla's Sandal Gap - soo cute!
Aren't her feet huge?? They are so long and thin!

Asleep in Daddy's Arms

Breathing Treatments... Lyla must have had these in the orphanage or something because she knew right what to do and held in her mouth the whole time!!

Lyla and big brother Conor!

Belle loves the sound and vibration of the breathing machine... same as the vacuum!

Visiting Bellie's school!

Painting with her tongue, crazy girl!

That's better, but still her tongue isn't going back in the mouth - she thinks she will be able to sneak it down for another lick! ;)

On her classroom door - what a perfect picture for her! :)

Her very own locker!!

Sara Grace in her Princess Belle costume

Dancing with Tay the Beast!

One of my favorite pictures that I took while there!!!