Returned "Prodigal Son"...so to speak

I could not believe my eyes yesterday. Never in a MILLION years did I dream this would happen or believe that someone would return to tell me thank you. It has never happened before, but that doesn't mean it would never happen in my lifetime. Just didn't think it would happen this time, either.

Last week, I helped a stranger going through a really tough place in his life. Justin is his name and he walked through the doors of the church I work at asking for a bus ticket to go back home. Could I please do anything to help him was his plight. If you'll look back through my archives, I wrote about Justin on Christmas morning. I spoke of him, his situation and my willingness to help even though I am going through a tough time financially now. It was about sacrifical giving and how it can change you. How it changed me. Sure, it's easy to throw someone, anyone a bit of money when it's extra but to sacrifically give....to give when it is HARD to give it.....wow. That is what we are called to do. Perfect giving....giving from the heart.

I was putting away mail and heard the creak of the door behind me. I turned to see Justin's smiling face walking in the doorway! I wanted to run to him and wrap my arms around him much like the father of the prodigal son. I said his name..."Justin," and he smiled as if he was surprised that I remembered it. How could I not when HE meant so much to me and my own personal growth.

I showed him into my office and we chatted once more. Justin told me some exciting news! He was going to be leaving that very night to go HOME! I knew in my heart of hearts it was going to happen! I had told him that when we spoke last week. That it may not happen for Christmas, but that was "ok"....that it would happen when God intended it to happen. That God would make sure he got home and to not give up. Well, Justin listened and didn't give up.....he's going HOME to be with family again. The Prodigal Son returns HOME!!

I took Justin back to the Kitchen and got him something to drink and wanted to feed him as well. He was coughing so much from this nasty cold weather and sleeping outside day after day. I'm hoping this has taught him a valuable lesson about what is really important in life. I took him to the Library and gave him a Study Bible to take with him on his Life's Journey. I told Justin that if he doesn't feel up to reading it now, that is ok too, just don't get rid of it. Keep it safe and read it when he's ready. I wrote him a note inside the cover and wrote some Bible verses on it to remind him of God's amazing love for him. I also wrote Philippians 4:13. That is on my desk. I think that will help Justin a lot in life!!

I wish I were a fly on the wall when Justin walked up the stoop at his home. But that is ok that I'm not there. I was just a means to get him there. He's on his own now. God is there. God will always be there with Justin, always has been. I just hope and pray that Justin always remembers this. Keep Justin in your thoughts today, would ya!?

Challenge to Each of You this Christmas Morn

Merry Christmas to each and every single one of you! It is my greatest hope that you find a special wonder about Christmas this year. Examine yourselves.....what does Christmas MEAN to you, your family? Did you start new traditions this year? We did....and I'm thrilled to share them with you. But that is for another day. More importantly...so much moreso.....is the Christ child in a manger....an innocent child who is the King. Not what the ppl of the day thought or expected their king to be when he finally arrived. A babe in a manger...why a child? A baby? A baby needs so much from us, Aren't kings someone that don't "need" us? That isn't the case with the Christ child, he SO MUCH needs us....as much as we need him. Think about it, a baby is totally dependant on us for his/her care.....they can do nothing for themselves. They must grow, learn and be taught everything. Hey....when Jesus came.....didn't he come to do those exact things for us? To show us a better way....The NEW covenant....to teach us.....to help us grow, etc. How ironic. But why? Why did our King come as a babe in a lowly manger? Not on a throne?

Do you think that it is possible, merely possible, that the reason Jesus came as a baby was yet a teaching tool? How you ask? We must learn to give of ourselves in order to receive otherwise it loses its total meaning. Giving of ourselves to the Christ "child" so that he can grow.....he came as a human, right...but what does THE Christ need to learn? Not a thing....but oh do we. We need to learn to be sacrifical, to be giving of our hearts and our souls not just during this Christmas season....but on a daily basis. For when you give from the heart, the soul and the mind......in the name of Jesus Christ.....it changes you. In giving to others, you receive....do you understand this? Do you feel it? Do you know it? Do you want to know this? Then as "Nike" says......"Just do it!"

My heart was given the opportunity to do just as I'm saying here. On Thursday, Dec. 23, a young man walked through the doors of my work (I'm the Administrative Assistant of a church) looking for help. Now, I could've done 1 of 2 things.....tell him "I'm sorry, but we just don't have the means to help here at the church." (we really don't) OR I could've opened my heart and just listened to him. Justin was his name. That is all I know. That is all I need to know. But I'll never forget Justin....or his face....or the desperation in his voice when he told me that he was kicked out of his home in Kansas and came here to the So. In. area for a girl (that smells like trouble for him already, huh?). He wanted a bus ticket to go back HOME. This wasn't home, he was homeless. My heart ached for him as his story unfolded. After being kicked out, and Justin was here in So. In, his father died. He felt so guilty that a GIRL kept him from being with his father in his last days. It was an unexpected death. He must'nt blame himself. Easy to say, huh?! Well, he's been homeless for 1 month now and his family refuses to help get him home. He is remorseful....he is full of regrets. First I listened....with my heart, not only my ears. I can only hope he felt this and knew it. The girl dumped him right after coming all the way from kansas.....she'd used him and threw him away. I can't imagine being homeless....any time of the year....but seriously, it's Christmas! I listened and then I felt so inclined from the good Lord above to share with him.....and he willingly listened and took it to heart (I think anyways...if not, seeds were planted in that moment).

I told Justin he was standing at a CROSSROADS in his life this very moment. Only HE could make the decision on which road he was going to take....not mom, not step-mom, not ex-girlfriend, no one! Only Justin! I spoke of the true love that the Lord our God has for him....always has and always will. Jesus has been standing next to him in his life, waiting...just waiting for Justin to open his arms, his heart and his mind. To give of himself to Jesus. I then spoke of PRAYER and the power of prayer. I told him that prayer is nothing fancy, nothing eleoquent.....just talkin'....to his friend....to his redeemer! Talk to him no matter what time of day it is, no matter where you are....Jesus just wants to hear our voices. Haven't you ever had a moment where you missed someone SO MUCH, and just needed to hear their voice and it renewed you. Think of that when thinking of Jesus' longing to "chat" with us!!

I gave Justin a little bit of money to get him started on his journey home. It was a REAL SACRIFICE for me to do so. Things are incredibly tight right now. But when you give from your heart, when it actually is a SACRIFICE.....wow.....there is power in that!

Will I ever know what comes of Justin? No. But I do know this.....that Jesus was with us for those 35 ~ 45 minutes that Justin and I talked. It is my deepest hope and I long for Justin to go HOME.....to family....he now knows what  is important in his life. Getting priorities in order. Thank you so much, Jesus, for teaching me to be sacrifical and that I was able to renew and give hope this Christmas season to one. All it takes is one at a time. We cannot help them all......but we can help one!

3,285 Days!

Pink...not only is it my FAVORITE color...but it reminds me of the color of "love." So what is up with my title? Well, today (actually it is the middle of the night so it was yesterday ~ Dec. 21) is our anniversary of sorts. This is the 9th anniversary (9 years is 3,285 days) of our first date. The day I first laid eyes on my husband. I knew in a moment that he'd play an important part in my life somehow! How did I know this? I can't explain it or tell you how, I just knew. It was a God-thing.

If you haven't figured it out yet, Tony and I met online. Never in a million years did I think I'd meet my future spouse online. LOL! I mean, who does that? Not me. Well, I did.

God brought us together and keeps us together. Well, actually, we have to do the hard work necessary, but I think you know what I mean. Listen, THREE THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED and EIGHTY-FIVE days!! Whoa! That is a lot of stinkin' days! Each day is a journey. A journey of the heart, a journey of the mind, and a journey of kindrid spirits seeking to go through this life together though times may be great, and times may get even so hard that we want to give up. I refuse to give up. This is my commitment to him. My covenant to him.

On the day I said, "I do," I promised (actually covenanted) to be with Tony through thick and thin. Though Love may be the easy part....the hard part is, well, actually, all of it is hard. Very hard. Every day is a challenge to stay "in love." Mind you, I LOVE Tony with every single ounce of my being.....every ounce.

Love is like a delicate rose. Beautiful, enticing, the aroma draws you in. BUT....to keep it beautiful, you must work at it, you must water it, you must prune it. Did you realize that pruning it almost makes it "ugly"? We have to bring out the ugly in ourselves and bring that to each other in honesty and hope.....to let each other see us for who we REALLY are....ugly parts and all. I love Tony's ugly side, I love his beauty, I love HIM for HIM. I love who God made Tony to be. ALL OF HIM!

I am crying as I write this because I deeply, deeply know in my heart of hearts that this could all change in an instant. Life is funny that way. People are strange....we are strange. We take things way too seriously sometimes. And sometimes not serious enough. I VOW to change the way I've committed myself to my husband. I vow to give him my entire all. I've given him my life....my love and my hope....my dreams and my fears. Now, I vow to listen more. Not to be selfish in some ways. It's about US.....not me AND Him.....but US. Strictly, us....with our family.

"Sisters" in Love, "Sisters" in Christ, "Sisters" of the Heart!

Us girls, brought together in an amazing friendship through our adoptions from Guatemala. Now formed, and since our gathering in Paducah, KY, we've become so much more. We are now sisters. Sisters of the heart, sisters in Christ, and sisters forevermore. Kelly, Jess and myself were destined to be "sisters" when we "met" in 2007 at the start of our adoption journeys through our adoption agency. Though distance has kept us at arms length, we have since come together in friendship and in sisterhood!

Now, having a symbol of our bonded sisterhood, Jess Richter gifted us with these amazing "Show Hope Bracelets" for Christmas. This bracelet is an adoption prayer bracelet with the scripture of James 1:27 on it. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep onself from being polluted by the world." NIV

The best part of the entire weekend was this: the "snow" cookies that the kiddos made!! My Joshua called the flour, "snow" when he said, "I need more snow on the table to make my cookies." We all laughed so hard! From that point, the kids started to take it to another level. Oh boy did they. They were throwing "snow" on each other, Aiden was throwing "snow" on himself...LOL....and sweet Hannah, well, she was happy with mommy holding her.

Then today we took our sisterhood to yet another level ourselves. We worshiped together at Kelly's church. Sisters in fellowship then sisters at the table....well, with Pizza naturally!! We went back to The Gross' house for lunch.....for PIZZA! The kids were amazing....more fellowshiping with each other before Jess, Aiden and Hannah and Joshua and myself had to head to our respective "homes"....Jess was on her way to another "sister's" house in Georgia. This sister was also with our agency. We are bound together in Christ's love.....with our love of adoption and our children, and now with our love of each other. Stronger friendships were formed. We are no longer just friends.....we're sisters. Thank you, Jesus for my new sisters!!

Paducah Bound

This morning Joshua and I are Paducah Bound to go see his BFF!! (and mine too) Yep, Joshua's BFF is also a lil boy named Joshua!! They are both adopted from Guatemala and my Joshua's BFF's mom, Kelly and I met through our adoption agency many moons ago. Kelly and I (and the boys) FINALLY met about a month ago in Lexington when Kelly's daughter, Madison, had a cheer competition there. I drove over to meet them afterwards and we spent the day together. Let me tell ya, these two Joshua's were practically inseperable from the get-go! They held hands all the time, CUTE as a BUTTON!!! They sat next to each other at Chuck E Cheese's.....and chatted about Thomas the Train and all sorts of cool stuff like that!! These two even have the SAME middle name...how awesome is that? Fate brought Kelly and I together in friendship and I know in my heart of hearts that these two will be BFF's for a LONG time coming!! Amazing that a Country (Guatemala) so far away....two kiddos both adopted from that very country from the same agency....two friends (Kelly and I) can bring two lil' guys together and form friendships that will last a lifetime! I know for certain that I've found that with Kelly. She's amazing. I've found a special, one-of-a-kind-friendship with her! Thanks Kelly! You're wonderful!!!!!

My dh, Tony, is not coming with us today. He has painting to do in the dining room and wants to get it all done before Nikki comes to visit after Christmas. Bummer that he's not coming with us. It'll be the very first time we'll be apart since Joshua's been home (over 2 years now). I don't like that but Kelly is worth it...LOL. Love ya girl!! See ya soon!!

First Post from Mama ~ "Pieces of the Puzzle"

So, here we go...my first post on my new blog. My intent is to share with you my children, my faith, my life. My greatest hope is that in doing so, it touches your heart and your soul and deepens your faith in family and in God. I am in no way, shape or form an expert on anything but that rather I'm a mom who loves my family dearly and loves life and all that there is to enjoy in it. I truly believe that we are all pieces of a puzzle in this thing called life and without one piece of it.....the puzzles missing piece leaves a gaping hole. A hole that leaves one to do more than just wonder. We try to figure out what that piece "looks like", "fits like" and only God can complete the puzzle. So, be your "puzzle piece" in life and fit where you are intended to be. My piece of the puzzle looks like a mom of three beautiful children and the wife of an amazing man. I try so hard to be the best mom I can be although I make mistakes, I pick up my "pieces" and carry on and hopefully learned from it, didn't scar my children, LOL, and love them unconditionally as they are and always will be. My life as a wife is truly a blessing. I've been blessed with the most amazing man (Tony) as the person I'll spend the rest of my life with. He's my "muffin top"...my very best part!! Remember on a "Seinfeld" episode where Elaine wanted to start a Muffin Top business because they were the best of the muffin? Well, that is where I got that term from.  

My children vary in ages widely. My oldest daughter is 21, Bridgette and Nikki is 19. They live with their dad in Pennsylvania. Their dad and I divorced many years ago. I then married Tony and we adopted Joshua (who is now 3) from Guatemala. Joshua has been home from Guatemala a little over 2 years now. I am passionate about my children! They are my life's blood. My husband is my heart! Without any of them, I wouldn't be able to exist the same way. They shape me into who I am and I love it!! I love each of them so very very much!

Enough basic information for now.....hopefully you'll come back. Read and share with me. Enjoy and God bless each of you!!

~Tina