He knows their names . . .

My heart has been moved to aching for the second time in 24 hours.  How is this not a human rights violation?  How can we not step in for these helpless ones?  I read another hard story on a blog that I follow called No Greater Joy Mom about a little girl named Teri Lynn who is about to be transferred to a mental institution in Eastern Europe because she has Down Syndrome and no one has adopted her yet.  Did you know that 95% of children with Down Syndrome die after being transferred to these horrible institutions? 

Teri Lynn just weeks after being transferred to a mental institution.

Our Associate Pastor, Andrew Gretzinger, reminded us yesterday that we have been given much to be a blessing to others.  If you can't pursue adoption, could you help raise money to ransom this little one.  Could you commit to praying daily for her and the other children?  Help me brainstorm.  What can we do as the body of Christ to help these most vulnerable ones?  There are 1.5 MILLION children in Eastern Europe alone that have been abandoned by their families and there are almost 3,000 children languishing in horrible institutions with Down Syndrome and each of them has a name.

Refrigerator Wars

I don't know what draws me to the show Hoarders.  It's like a car crash.  It's definitely not edifying, and I should curb my viewing habits.  In some sick way, it gives me comfort.  Comfort that my house isn't "that bad", that I have my "stuff" together, that I'm not as sick as "those" people.  I had a little wake-up call as I tackled my refrigerator. 

I've been using an online organizer called Cozi that I found on one of my favorite cleaning and organizing sites, Flylady.  I have this neurotic need to have a checklist, and this site was a dream come true (How type A do you have to be to get excited about cleaning and organizing your house?).  One of the tasks assigned by Flylady for the day was to empty and clean out the fridge.  When we arrived home from the grocery store, I decided to tackle this task.  I anticipated it would take me 15 min . . . 2 hours later and I'm up to my neck in old salad dressing bottles, half eaten fuzzy somethings, and about 6 jars of jelly all while mini-people shouted, grunted, and begged for lunch. After soaking disgusting shelves in the bathtub with bleach, chipping away at some mysterious caramel colored congealed substance with a sharp kitchen implement, and scraping out (insert gagging noise here) old containers of who-knows-what, washing my hands at least 25 times in scalding hot water, I was done. . . until I removed the little vent cover underneath the fridge and discovered about 3 lbs of dog hair.  (We haven't had dogs for over a year!)  This was not for the faint of heart. 

I'm not going to make some profound spiritual connection between my dirty fridge and my dirty heart (though the parallels would be interesting) I'm just going to say that I now realize that I'm just a few bad decisions or circumstances away from the aforementioned show.  It gives me more compassion with those that struggle with a very visible manifestation of a hurting heart.  And it reminds me to take out the yellow gloves and do some hard work in my own life with the Spirit's help. 

(And yes, I do look that fetching while fetching from my Frigidaire)

She's got the fever!

I have been lurking on several blogs that highlight life as a momma of a child with Down Syndrome.  The most encouraging sites have been ones that are written by mommas who love Jesus.  I have been moved to tears, encouraged, educated, and entertained by life in all of the very different families all over the web.  My heart was moved recently by a story of a little boy named Kirill and his journey home to America.

Because my husband and I are passionate about adoption, I was instantly drawn to a site called Reece's Rainbow that advocates for children with Down Syndrome and other special needs.  What instantly drew me to the site was the fact that many of the children from Russia look just like my little boy:  our domestic, international, special needs adoption. You can read about our adventure at this post.

My best friend growing up gave birth to a little firecracker named Evan.  He is absolutely delicious and his extra chromosome makes him extra cute.

Amy was such an encouragement to me as we made the decision to bring little Knox home.  Lately, I was noticing my friend Amy was equally captivated by Reece's Rainbow and I began to sense that she had caught the fever.  I know the symptoms having been friends with many in the adoption community.  She kept commenting on the site, advocating, and even sponsoring a little friend from RR to help increase the adoption grant.  I was so excited to find out that Amy and her husband Mike are embarking on the adoption journey.  You can read about their story on their adoption blog.  I was in tears looking at that little girl that looks like she was made for this family.

 I am glad to say there is no cure for this fever.  I pray that our lives and testimonies of God's grace in ransoming these little ones will become contagious.  I'm hoping for an epidemic :)

Too stinkin cute . . .

Mighty to Save!

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

Those were the words of praise shared by Tesney Davis as she proclaimed the power of our God to move in the hearts of men. I posted two posts ago about this family and their great love for a little man named Kirill . This story originally broke my heart. A little boy with Down Syndrome was denied adoption by a russian court because he was deemed unfit because of his diagnosis. After many prayers and lots of blog posts, we can rejoice with the Davis family. The Supreme Court overruled the previous decision and Kirill will join his new family very soon. What good news! Our God is mighty to save!

There was a Girl. Fifteen Years Old: An Adoption Story - Reformation21 Blog

There was a Girl. Fifteen Years Old: An Adoption Story - Reformation21 Blog

What a confirmation of what we already know! Great blog post!

My God is so Big . . .

Tonight I read a story that literally broke my heart.  As I sat in front of my computer screen, I was overwhelmed with tears and with great thankfulness to the LORD.  As many of you know, our littlest Lankford was adopted in October.  He came to us from an Albanian family who did not have a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome.  When little K was born, he was a shock to their system.  You see, they come from a country that thinks that children with DS are unsuitable for families, "unadaptable".  I don't fault little K's birthparents.  I grieve for them.  I grieve that they didn't see the blessing of our baby.  I grieve that they grieve.  I grieve that their culture and many others like it feel that babies with an extra chromosome are disposable, less than human, undeserving of dignity and love. I am also praising God.  I praise him that we have been blessed with the most adorable little baby, who smiles and laughs and melts into my shoulder.  I praise God that He chose us to be K's parents.  I praise God that we live in a country that doesn't farm our disabled children into institutions where they are condemned to a crib with no toys, no blankets, no love.

Please join with me in praying for the Davis family.  They are seeking the adoption of a little boy named Kirill.  They went to the country twice and upon their second visit, attended a court hearing where the judge deliberated and decided that Kirill was not fit for adoption.  What a dire situation.

I've been teaching G this week about Jericho and how God tore the walls down with some marching and shouts from His people.  Will you join me in praying to tear down the walls of opposition to this adoption before our Heavenly Father.  It seems to be an impossible situation, but I know that my God is so Big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!


Read more about the story at No Greater Joy Mom.