James 1:27 (New King James Version)
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

God is soooo smart...He created us....so He knows what to talk to us about and what to put in His word. I was reminded yesterday of this verse, because my hubby spoke it at a funeral yesterday, and he was telling folks, we have a widow that we must visit, and if we want to be "religious" than we need to hold her up, and visit her. Well, I learned WHY God said to visit them...once you visit them...an orphan or a widow, it takes away that word or label, and they become a person with a name, a face, and with needs. So when He told us to do this, it was to change our hearts, and when you think of the staggering number of 163 million orphans in the world it seems outrageous and you feel helpless....and then you VISIT them, and they have a name, and they need a family....and for us her name is Esther, and her face is beautiful, and she needs a family!!!

Dr. Appt. or Divine Appt.

Today I had a Dr. appt.....I had to get my Yellow Fever shot, so that when we are ready to go get Esther, I'm ready to roll. This shot is required to travel to Africa. I also had to get a paper signed from a Dr. saying he thinks Charlie and I are mentally and physically able to care for another child. (hold all your jokes please...hehe...only I can make fun of this one.) Anyway, so this week-end I got my paperwork and my passport out and ready to go, so I didn't forget anything for the appt. I was FREAKED out when I realized the Dr. signature had to be notarized, ugh....I did not tell them this when I made the appt. So this week-end I prayed that this would not be a problem...I mean you know doctors are busy and I'm just guessing how excited they get about MORE paperwork.



I called this morning and told the clinic that my paperwork had to be notarized...the gal says...we do NOT have a notary in the building, but go ahead and come and we'll figure it out...



So I go, and I checked in and when the nurse came to get me, I told her that the Dr. signature needed to be notarized, she said, "Uhhhhhh, I will call the hospital, and see it they have a notary". So she calls the hospital, and the notary over there would not answer....



In the meantime....the Dr. came in to consult me on the shot, and to make sure I had a heartbeat and so he could sign the paper for adoption...this doc we have known for a long time, and he has delivered 2 of my precious babes. This is the only doc Charlie will EVER agree to see for anything....(besides hand injuries...of which he will go to the hosp. and back injuries of which he will go to Dr. Hebert) this is the Doc that when I had Luke....he comes back in the room after all his work was complete, and says....hey I have a boy named Luke too, and it happens to be his birthday today. So this Doc delivered our Luke on his Luke's birthday. How cool is that?????



So, TODAY...the Dr. shares with me a story about his Luke, and how God absolutely did a complete miracle and saved this boy's life.....he told me the whole story, but I didn't ask if I could share.....so I won't, but trust me he was calling it a miracle and there is NO other explanation!!! So, that just made my day; he also told me that his Luke is a missionary in another country....Oh my gracious.....I shared with him that Lashae wants to be a missionary, and it has taken an act of God for Charlie and I to get on board with this decision, I told him I was ashamed that I could not be 100% excited at first, that it has taken a lot of time, and a work of God on my heart to TRUST HIM with her future and her calling to go to the mission field.




We had a very cool moment, the Doc shared with me that he too has struggled even though he knows his boy is called and God has such a hand on his life, but sometimes it was difficult and he just has to TRUST....


Oh glory!!! One parent to another, we just had such a good time, and we both said at the end of the conversation how glad we were that God was in control and He had a future for our kids because we sure couldn't do a better job than GOD to plan their futures....we had a good laugh at the end about who do we think we are anyway???



So then I break the news that I need a notarized signature....he said ok...we'll get it done in the next few days or SO.....when I left without those papers and I felt in a bit of a panic...this adoption paperwork is tedious and it important....there are no variations, no exceptions, no gray.....you get it done and you get it done right, and anything you mess up on is just another delay to bringing your child home.



So I thanked the Lord for such a fabulous Dr. appt, that I HAD BEEN DREADING ....I have not been to a Dr. for myself in almost 3 yrs, and the only reason I went then was because I had a baby!! (No comments allowed on this either. It's just the way it is, and I'm doing great!! I have not had a need to go to the Dr.)



I was rejoicing for such a "divine appt" at the Dr. office, but I was concerned for my paperwork.


So then I come home and 2 hours later the nurse calls and says they have all paperwork done and notarized!!!!! Oh my Lord, I am REJOICING!!!!!! What a day the Lord has given me, He has just provided one good thing after another. I'm REJOICING BIG!!!!

How Do the Kids Feel About Esther????

Many have asked how our kids feel about Esther's adoption into our family.....the one you would think might have the most reservations about ANOTHER sibiling, and having to SHARE a room...well, she wrote a post about how she feels and I think you should check it out. It brought this mom to tears, and made me URGENT to get Esther home. Oh, and as far as the room cleaning, and getting ready for Esther, this was ALL her own idea...I can barely wrap my mind around the paperwork I'm having to do, let alone worried about where she is going to sleep at this point. And, I did point out to Charsie that maybe we should have Esther share a room with Lashae since she has a bigger room, and she is hardly ever home.....Charsie burst into tears, and said that WAS NOT FAIR....she has wanted Esther in her room!!!!! Wow, all this from a 13 year old girl who spends A LOT of her time taking care of younger sibilings. I'm pretty sure the Lord has prepared each member of this family for Esther and now He just needs to finish the deal, and get her HOME!!!!

Click on over at : http://www.brewersisters.blogspot.com/ and check it out!!!

Moving

My folks are packing up and heading to Arizona. Wow...it's been 23 years in the same place. Me and 2 of my 3 sisters and our hubby's and older boys took the place by storm this weekend and made HUGE progress in the moving process with them. It was craziness. We had a few sad moments....going down memory lane and realizing this is an end to a big long crazy chapter for all of us....and we had some funny moments, we got a bit silly at times, and we mostly had....let's just POWER through this and GET 'ER DONE moments.

Dad was in his element, he had us all marching.

Mom was surviving...she had all of us barking at her..."keep or not"...."Arizona or storage"...."garbage or box"...all weekend long...all of us firing off constant questions, we did not give her time to think....we didn't have time. She did very well, and hung in there to the dirty end and didn't even threaten to spank us or put us in the corner once!!!!

Here we are as a young family of mom and dad and 4 girls....it feels like this was just a few days ago.

Kole is holding a dear picture that just had to go...when you've taken a zillion pictures over the years you just can't keep them all. So we have plenty copies of each precious moment, but those big ones are just taking up too much space.

Here is all of our Senior pictures...Mom is holding Tawnya's. Just a few days gone by since these were taken.

Charsie Has Braces

Charsie got braces.....Here is the before and after pictures of my girl.

There is a sweet story behind these braces.

My nephew, Brayden, who happens to be Charsie's best friend had recently sent Charsie a sweet note and a sizable check. The note explained how braces would feel when she got them, and described in detail what she could and couldn't eat. Then the note when on to explain that the check was to help pay for her braces. Brayden has braces and he knew how bad Charsie needed them and he just wanted to contribute. This kid has a heart of gold, his thoughtfulness and generosity are just a part of his DNA it is a huge part of who is EVERY day, and he gets it so genuinely right from his MOM AND DAD. I will always think of Brayden and what a giver he is every time I look at Charsie with those braces on, and then once they are off and her teeth are straight and beautiful.

I thank the Lord for these kids and how He is teaching us through them what selflessness and PURE love really are.

Football, Family, Fun

We had such a great week-end. Friday night we went to Kole's football game in Washougal...and WE WON!!!! Also, Marlece and her beautiful family met us there and it was soooo much fun watching football with her, but I did have to restrain her a few times as she was tempted to get out there and cheer with the cheerleaders.


Also, Sydney (our other graduated daughter) met us there and it was sooooo wonderful to see her! Lashae and her NATURALLY wore the same shirt...(not on purpose).... They have just been so close for so long that they think alike.

We then ALL went up to Marlece's house for a few hours of sleep, a run, a new hair-do, some waxing of the eyebrows, some excellent food...and then at noon off to my nephew Brayden's game....where....yep....HE WON!!!!

And I might add that he is just a bit on the studly side out there on that football field. He never ONCE came off that field. They use that boy for every second of every game.

Charsie is by far his biggest fan.

Then we headed out and had lunch all together.....and my sis and her hubby insisted on treating us to a yummy lunch. THANK YOU!!!!

The best part of the whole frantic time, was the time spent with my sis. She knows more about me and me about her than I'm sure is the legal limit. We have been through childhood....good and bad....marriage...good and bad.....child-birth, post-pardom....good and bad (in that order)....failures, success....bad and good....frustration and celebration TOGETHER. We are total opposites and totally the same...

Our hubby's were best of buds all growing up...so it was much like sisters marrying brothers....we joke that we are sister wives...(as in polygamy), but we each have our own man so that doesn't quite work.

We love like sisters and we fight like sisters. The best part of this whole sister thing is that she is my sister in Christ and we are following Jesus together but in different states in different ways, but following Him and sharing what He is teaching us, and growing up together in Him.

The Gift That Just Keeps Giving

Charlie came home in tears last night.

Tears of JOY and tears of overwhelmed BLESSING!!!

Last year we had some precious friends that called and said they would like to give us some hay and we could just trade off the the bill with a few little things they needed done, building wise....and then when they were ready to build a house we could finish the trade......I can't tell you what a total blessing this was. We were just praising God...we had enough and EXTRA hay to feed all year..and we still have some left..and prior to their call, we were trying to figure out what to do....because we did not have enough hay or money to feed through the winter. So were thrilled and blessed to say the very least. Charlie did a few little things they needed done, but this was a BUNCH of hay, so it was going to take building a house to make the trade even. We were just so thankful for their generosity and thoughtfulness. They contacted US they asked US ....knowing, it may be awhile before they build. So it was a blessing and a gift straight from the Lord through some people that listen to Him and give selflessly and generously.

So then yesterday..................the same precious friend called Charlie and said that him and his precious wife have always been interested in adoption and they would like to support us in ours and then we can pave the way a bit so that when they are ready we can be their support. Then he said he wanted to call it even on the hay ....and that is how they want to contribute!!!!! I can not express how this just blessed our very hearts and made us crazy with LOVE and praises to the Lord!

People; I have been asked SOOOOOO many times.....just yesterday......as a matter of fact.....how are you going to pay for an adoption?? My answer is..........we aren't, GOD IS! And He is, He is.

It blows my mind to watch and be a part of miracle after miracle of how God will just move mountains for the orphan. He will take care of all His children, and we are also living proof of that, but HE MOVES MIGHTILY ON BEHALF OF THE ORPHAN. It humbles me beyond words to get to be a part of something that is just the mighty work of God.

I want to be a part of this kind of LOVE, I want to BE the precious friend that calls someone out of the blue and GIVES SELFLESSLY just because the LORD laid it on MY HEART! These folks have hearts and ears for the LORD. I am blessed by them, and I am overwelmed by God's love and His blesssings. He is so faithful.

Random Thoughts From the Week-end Conference

My brain is EXPLODING!!!! We got soooo much information this week-end at the conference we attended this weekend, and everyone who knows me is going to be soooooo sick of me...sick of listening to me as I process all that is rattling in this brain of mine.

Here's one of the worst statistics I have ever heard....the latest studies are coming out with this stat....there are 163,000,000 orphans worldwide...OMG....that is crazy....think of this......163,000,000 kids will be aged out of the system in 18 years...which means we have the potential of having 163,000,000 people in this world who know nothing about love and being cared for by someone that thinks they are special, and will be in their corner for their whole lives.....they will be in crime, drugs, prostitution, anything to SURVIVE. They don't know any different...it is not their fault.....

Here's another thought....if my kids were left with no parents for whatever reason....and everyone just gave them money, but did not pray for them by name, did not hold them, did not have them over for dinner, did not include them in their lives; that would be devastating. My kids need love, and they get it because we have family and friends in their lives everyday no matter what....there are 163,000,000 kids that don't!!!! They don't have parents or friends and family support. Just throwing money at the problem won't fix it...these kids need family, friends, someone to cheer them on through this difficult life.

Here's a question that I know we will get a lot, because I myself have asked this...and I feel through education, and a tiny experience I have a better answer...or at least an answer I feel resolved with in my own heart. THE QUESTION: Why don't you help those in need HERE in America....OMG...We need to...there is a need in the U.S. ...there is a huge need...especially in the foster care system, but for ME for RIGHT NOW we know of a little girl in Africa who's name is Esther and SHE IS THE ONE GOD HAS LAID ON OUR HEARTS FOR RIGHT NOW. So we are going full steam ahead to bring her home to our home to be our daughter....

One last random thought on the magnitude of the 163,000,000 thing....I think of the Vietnam War, and all the lasting repercussions from that....I think of the many people that are currently living on the street, their lives devastated, on drugs, and messed up, and think about how many of them stem from Vietnam...they were rejected, they saw devastating things, they went through things that have absolutely devastated them for rest of their lives to the point of many of them are abusers of drugs, alcohol and other vices....what is it going to be like when there are 163,000,000 of those people that have been rejected and devastated out trying to find their way in this world. Yikes!!!!

Oh and I'll leave you with a quote from this weekend that just gripped me: If we are going to speak out and stand against abortion, we must be willing to speak out and stand up for the babies that are BORN.