Sympathy is no substitution for action

This quote was on a church sign near our home last week. It has stuck with me because isn't this how most of us live our lives? Most people feel sympathetic to those in need and might even think about doing soemthing to help. But if you are anything like me those thoughts rarely get put into action.

My goal for the coming year is to put my sympathetic thoughts into action more often.

I started this post a few days ago and then today saw the video below. Powerful.

The Joy of Christmas

Every YEAR 2,102,400 more children become orphans in Africa alone

Every DAY 38,493 children AGE OUT of the orphanage...they will be turned out into the streets...with NOTHING

Staggering statistics, seems hopeless, yet we can all make a difference.

I love this time of year. The lights & decorations, Christmas music blaring through our home, all the extra cookies & goodies....lots of excitement each day as we approach Christmas day. Such a joyous time for us yet a lonely time for so many.

I pray this season we will remember the true reason for the season and share the joy and hope of our Savior's birth by helping or loving someone in need.

The Superheroes

Spider man, Bat girl, and Super girl to the rescue...

And yes, sweet Silas T got a new hair do. Isn't he handsome?!

NYC Girls Trip

My mom, the girls and I had an amazing trip to NYC!!! It was so much fun and the girls were so good and loved the big city. We saw Mary Poppins, went to The Plaza, did a carriage ride through Central Park, ate at Serendipity, FAO, had dinner at American Girl Doll Store, took the ferry to see Statue of Liberty...a memorable trip I will cherish forever!

Another first tooth....

a few years too soon...but Silas lost his first tooth!

All Grown Up

Two days before my first baby turned 7, she lost her first tooth! We had an Almost Slumber Party to celebrate her birtday with friends and it was so much fun. The girls played musical sleeping bags, had sleeping bag races and giggled and laughed for 3 hours!!
We've had a crazy, fun start to the new school year....wanted to post a few pics from Liv's birthday, first tooth, bird day & school fun. Also, a sweet pic of our boy in his Etiopian outfit.
xoxo,
Sara

First Day, Finally...

Back to School

Olivia started 1st grade last week and Silas even started preschool. Sydney was supposed to start today but ended up home sick. Poor thing was the last one to have her first day and my child who is never sick wound up ill the night before her big day. I'm praying I can post her "first day of school" picture tomorrow.

I had not planned to be home today cuddling with my sweet girl, making sure she had medicine & holding her while she was sick but I was so thankful I was able to do just that. To think there are so many moms who can't comfort their children when they are sick is heartbreaking. Can you imagine having a child who is sick, even deathly sick and not having access to the medicine that could save his/her life? It is hard to grasp such circumstances when we are so very blessed here in the USA. I pray that we will care for those in need just as we've been commanded to do.

1 John 3:17-18 "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees hi.s brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth"

James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required"

Happy Birthday, Silas T!!

Our little man turns two years old tomorrow on the 17th! We celebrated over the weekend with dinner at the Ethiopian restaurant in Charlotte, Meskerem.

Silas refused to even try any of the food but he sure enjoyed that ginger ale in his big boy cup! Olivia tried everything and loved it. She says that means she gets to go on our next trip to Ethiopia. And it sure did make me want to go back. So many memories came flooding back, seeing all the pictures and memorabilia from Ethiopia and the beautiful Ethiopian women who served us. I swear they are the faces of the most beautiful people in the world and have the most beautiful spirit. I truly can't wait to go back.

We love you sweet boy and are so thankful you are our son. You have added more joy to our lives than we ever dreamed possible.

Uncle Sam

Oh the fun!! 2 weeks at the beach was just what we needed...SO FUN!

Here is Silas as Uncle Sam for the 4th of July parade at Fripp. Could he be any cuter?

Summertime is Here!!

It's been quite awhile since I've posted so I decided to post pics from our Spring (prior post) and these pics from our start to summer for an update. We are loving summertime!!
We had an awesome trip to Florida to celebrate Doc's retirement (unfortanetly no good pics on my camera from that trip), trip to Mimi & Pop's, Liv's Kindergarten graduation, trip to Athens to visit our dear friends Em & Anabel, Liv is enjoying swim team & girls' dance recitals.
Hope you all are enjoying summertime!
xoxo,
Sara

Our Spring in Pictures

Our Spring was full of fun, fun, fun!!
Our first Easter with Silas, Spring Break at Nanna & Doc's, Mother's Day with 3 amazing kiddos, lemonade stand for Amazima Ministries & best friends together again! We feel so blessed!
Psalms 107:1-2 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

INTO THE STREETS ETHIOPIA

CHECK OUT THIS SITE TO WIN AN AWESOME NECKLACE FROM JUNK POSSE....


Why create Into the Streets of Ethiopia?

In February 2008, our family was lead by the Lord to adopt a child, a little girl, from Ethiopia, Africa. We stepped out in faith and obedience and in the process we were challenged to start leading our family in living a "no-regrets" life. The process of our adoption was a beautiful journey which ultimately lead to arriving in Ethiopia in July 2009, to meet and bring our new daughter home.

While in Ethiopia, we were honored to meet a man, Robel Alawi. We were fascinated and humbled beyond words when we learned of his life story and the ministry he conducted in the streets of Ethiopia. We vowed to pray for our brother and the incredible work of ministering to the unfortunate children that lived and begged among the dirty streets of Addis Ababa.

Our job was done. We obeyed God, adopted, had no regrets and thought we could simply return home to our children, and resume our normal, everyday life. Oh, how we were wrong! We found ourselves left with a hole, in the shape of Africa, in our hearts. God, in his awesome power and glory, kept placing before us the images of Robel and his ministry.

Yes, we were sent to Africa to bring home an orphan, teach her about Jesus and provide a loving environment for her to blossom. But, we were also sent to be made aware. We needed to see poverty and devastation, sickness and loneliness. To see little boys, the same age as our son, begging for their next meal. Begging to shine our shoes so they could take money home to their families. These images are forever etched in our minds and in our hearts.

Adoption is not enough for us. The longing for Africa continues in our hearts. We have seen and we have heard suffering at its greatest level. We are left with a burning question, consuming us night and day. What are you going to do? What are YOU going to do?

We find ourselves, once again, at the beginning of a faith journey. We are stepping out in blind obedience, without a single regret, to partner with Robel and Children's Future Ethiopia. Our prayer is that God will stretch us, mold us, even make us a little uncomfortable, if necessary. We have so little to offer, but we present it to the Lord and ask that He use our words and actions as a tool to touch the lonely and suffering for his glory.


Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.
Proverbs 24:12

VOTE FOR SILAS - FOR REAL THIS TIME!!

Here is the link to vote for Silas to win the Parents Magazine Cover Contest....

You can vote once a day until next Mon.

VOTE

Thanks!!

VOTE FOR SILAS

Please vote for Silas to win the Parents Magazine Cover Contest! He is not only the cutest little guy I know (just a little biased, I know!) but this is a great opportunity for adoption advocacy. Thanks!!

Click on "Likes" and leave a comment to vote...
xoxo,
Sara & Silas

Easter and Spring Break FUN!

We had a wonderful time at Nanna and Doc's for Easter and Spring Break!!

Yummy Boy

Silas is finally eating big boy food all by himself!! Couldn't you just eat him up? What a yummy boy! And yes he does have a rash guard shirt on. His mommy is so ready for warm weather we had to buy a few swim outfits from Target and he so loved wearing the shirt!

Something has been stirring in my heart for awhile now. I'm hesitant to write about it even now knowing that it won't come across as eloquently as I'd like. If this post comes across self-righteous in the least I apologize in advanced as that is not my intention.

As Christians we read the word and believe the word but do we actually live out the word? I've come across a stat many times during our adoption journey and it hits me hard each time. I read it again recently on a new blog I just discovered .....if 7% of Christians adopted one orphan there would be NO orphans. WOW. NO ORPHANS.

God directs us in the bible to "look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

He also says in James 2:17: So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

So it seems most Christians are not living out their faith with respect to the over 143 MILLION orphans in the world today. Try and imagine your children living w/out adequate food, care and love. These children are no different than your children and it is our responsibility as Christians to care for them.

There are many ways to help. Of course ADOPTION would be the best way and here are some other ways as well..

PRAY for orphans in the US and throughout the world.
Sponsor a child... http://amazima.org/waystohelp
Donate to an org that helps care for orphans... http://www.hopechest.org/
Help a family who is pursuing adoption by donating $ or helping in their fundraiser...check out www.itspoppydip.blogspot.com


Since bringing Silas home we have gotten a lot of comments such as "you guys have done such a neat thing" or "he is so lucky". I have to say those comments really eerk me. Adopting an orphan is not a "neat thing" to us. Yes adoption has been a wonderful experience and is a beautiful way to grow our family but we don't see it has a "neat thing". We are the ones who have been blessed beyond what we could've imagined by our angel boy.


We still have a long way to go and have yet to even scratch the surface ourselves. There is so much that needs to be done for these sweet children. I've heard that the interest in international adoption has increased due to the Haiti disaster and I pray that is the case.

Are you living out your faith? Are you "looking after orphans in their distress"?

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18

SNOW DAY!!!

SO FUN!!!!

A New Year

Last November we hosted a benefit in Beaufort to raise funds and awareness for our adoption agency's Orphans Ticket Home campaign. At the time, I had no hesitation or angst about how it would turn out. We had never planned a fundraiser or really any event for that matter(not even our wedding as my mom was the ultimate wedding planner :) I just knew we were supposed to do it and I am so glad we did. The event raised $15K for the OTH campaign and more importantly I think the event helped to raise awareness in our small community about the orphan crisis that exists today.

Since we arrived home with our angel boy Silas, we have been talking and praying about our next step in this adoption journey. An idea will pop into my mind every now and then but now I seem to have a hesitation and uncertainty about whether or not we could actually pull it off. How can we continue to raise awareness and funds especially living in a new town where we are just establishing our roots?

Today I was talking to one of my dear friends about a cookbook idea that had popped in my mind on the way home from the gym and I finally got the feeling that maybe this idea is something we could do. Our next step may not be as successful in terms of $ raised but we can still make a difference and bring awareness. So then I hopped on my sister-in-law's blog (which is incredible by the way - check out www.kristiejackson.blogspot.com)and read her New Year's post which contained the following bible verse...
"Are you so foolish?" Paul asks, "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Galatians 3:3.

God has been with us throughout our entire adoption journey and it is He who will continue to help us during the next phase. We may not be able to pull off an event or fundraiser by ourselves but with God on our side I think I'm ready to start turning some of these ideas into a reality.

May 2010 be a year where we all find new ways to help the "least of these".