Areas & times 2 get shirts today & Saturday

Ethan Jostad - Please pray for this child!

Please continue to keep this precious child, Ethan Jostad , his medical team, family, and friends your prayers!  I know I've asked you all to pray for him a 
few weeks ago, but his treatments are not working.  I know I can always depend on prayers from you when someone is in need!  


Ethan's cancer has spread into more bones in his
body over the last few weeks. The chemo did nothing.  
The type of cancer he has is very aggressive and they 
are hoping to try some experimental treatments.  
They are in a fight for their child's life and time is not 
in their favor.  This just breaks my heart and I cannot 
imagine what this family is going through.  I just 
know they definitely need prayers!  If you wish to 
follow him, you can get all his information and follow 
him by face by Facebook or Caringbridge   


Team Ethan Jostad

www.caringbridge.org/visit/eth​anjostad 


“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may

have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take 

courage; I have overcome the world.”John 16:33

I think we need to get Pinkie fixed

So today Colt walks into the room followed by Macy Jade.( The following has not been dramatized for effect) Colt: I think we need to get Pinkie (our 4 lb. poodle) fixed. Macy (indignantly): Colt, she DOESN'T even have electronics! 

First of all, Colt doesn't really have a clue about Pinkie going into heat. He parrots what he hears from us. And yes, she does need to go under the knife. We have given him the "parent" version of what is going on. If you are a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about. We lie to our kids. We do this for a million reasons. Sometimes we lie about what happened to Fido, or give the easy version of what happened to whomever has just died. So truth be told, we lie or omit or glaze over the harsh realities of life. This is understandable. We wan't to protect them from the world and in a sense, preserve their innocence. I think this way of thinking (the not telling the WHOLE truth bit) is not totally without merit. I've been teaching 14 years or so and the students that REALLY crack the code often times sorta just give up. These are usually the loner types- you know, dress in black, play Magic the Gathering, etc. When they figure out that when they get in trouble the crap is going to hit the fan, but its a different story when betty sue- my parents own this way cool business-popular gets caught in a pickle, they start seeing the world through jaded eyes. They seem to reach reality and adulthood a little bit before the rest of the pack. So, what is best? I've tossed this one around for years, but never really understood it until I had kids. The lies we tell are meant to do only good, but I've come to realize that there is some point at which we are doing the youth a disservice by perpetuating the "cocoon" effect. We sorta forget to tell them everything and (along with a constant dosing of self-confidence booster) before long we have a bunch of 18 year old's that think they can run the world. They don't have a real clue as to the "real" word REALLY operates. We have forgotten to tell them that their judgement is naturally going to stink because they are young and just haven't been around long enough know a lot and its not totally their fault. It's what some would call a Catch 22. See, this whole artificial world that we have created for them makes US feel better as parents, it creates a temporary safety net, but has its drawbacks. When the REAL stuff comes along, do they have the information they need to really make the wise decision? I grew up hearing that drugs were bad. Good lesson. I heard how they can ruin your life and etc, etc. That... is a really good half truth. What nobody tells you is that "they can cause great temporary pleasure, but this pleasure clouds your judgement and older folks with tons more maturity and judgement than you have lost everything because they eventually lost ANY judgement- so what i the world makes you think that you are the exception?- you can't even handle taking out the dog. Pleasure trumps judgement. Always has. So DON'T DO DRUGS. Life will be hard enough as it is." So, before long it is their friends that tell them what getting high is all about (the stuff that was left out of the Just Say No pamphlet) and they lack the knowledge and education to often handle the situation. Past generations didn't operate on the " I'm 18 and smart and can do anything I want" mentality. The pre-industrial folks told them (the young uns) that their judgement was crap and they pretty much understood that they lacked the skills to make it in the world without the guidance of a Yoda. This spawned the apprentice concept. They knew where they stood. Now, this approach is not flawless in the least. If we don't have a little self-confidence we will never REALLY roll the dice. As I have written about before, It is never to early to chart your destiny- to change the world; but, If you have such a warped- Mayberry concept of what goes on out there- what are you really doing? What are you really changing? So what should we be telling the youth of our nation? I don't have the answers, but I know for me I never really found my footing until I started to SEE the world in which God made for us. A 6 year old doesn't need to know every thing that goes on in Darfur, but if we want to change the world we need to know the world. A while back, I stepped out of the cocoon that I was living in and started to make myself SEE the world. I'm a creation of God, but so is everyone!! I can no longer pretend that what happens out there is none of my concern. We are all in this thing together- whites, blacks, asian, latinos, you name it. Arbitrary lines drawn in the sand are put there my man. I know it sounds like I'm on a rant, but this isn't a rant. This is just what's going on with me right now. I could sugar coat reality like I do for my kids, but you have grown beyond that.

Long Road to China - our adoption story: Wait time

Long Road to China - our adoption story: Wait time: "I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Phil has been updating so I've taken the passengers seat the last few posts. We are a team like t..."

Wait time

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Phil has been updating so I've taken the passengers  seat the last few posts.  We are a team like that; when one is tired/worn-out/etc. the other one picks up the slack.  Have I mentioned what a wonderful husband I have today?  God has truly blessed me with the best family!  I know we are not completed and He is still working to add more. 

We do not know any new information about the adoption.  We are constantly checking our e-mails to see if we have been matched.  It's hard for me to just wait, but there is nothing else I can do right now.  During this time, I've been very busy trying to fundraise.  Some one asked me the other day why we have started so early since it may be 6-12 months before we leave for China.  It's hard to raise a large lump sum of money all at once.  We want to be prepared and not feel so pressured for the $25,000-$40,000 (this is per child) international adoption fees.  We are saving and doing all we can to  not have any delays due to fiances.  All the fees are not paid at the end, but along the journey.  A bulk part of the financial burden is at the end of the journey, but we still have fees along the way to pay.  They do not let you continue to the next step until you pay the payments.  I know most families have to take out another mortgage on their house, but we do not want to do this until we have to.   No matter what we have to do, we will bring our child home!  This is why we have started so early with the fundraisers.  

Also, during this wait time, I've been trying to read and study; however it doesn't seem too often I have time. lol  I have been reading on adoption, Chinese adoptions, and Chinese culture.  I'm still learning so much new information!  I am reading a book (actually I've started about 3! lol) by Xinran called Letters from an Unknown Chinese Mother: Stories of Loss and Love.  This book will bring anyone to tears!  I'm anxious to read more from this author.  She is a Chinese native that writes many books about China.  I think her information is going to be very productive for me and I'm hoping it will give me better understanding on some issues.  

And of course, during our wait time, our family has been enjoying our time together!  I cannot believe school starts back so soon; it is going to be so strange to me.  Both Colt and Macy Jade will be in school this year and of course Phil will go back to teaching.  This process has strengthened, changed, and grown us so much!  I never new the starting process (even prior to having our other children with us) could change everyone so much!  

Colt is such a sweetheart!  Sunday at church, we sat down from a family with a young daughter.  I thought Colt was going to go sit by her; he kept saying "Look Momma, she is so cute!"  Then that afternoon, we were fortunate enough to run into grandparents that had a 4y/o granddaughter from China.  They showed us her picture and Colt went on and on about how cute she was, how precious she was, and wondering if his sister would look like her.  When we got in the car, he said  that he just couldn't help thinking about his baby brother or sister everytime he saw a baby.  He is just a sweetheart!  Macy Jade was excited too, but Colt was just smothered with love everytime he sees a baby! 



Both kiddos have dentist appointments tomorrow in the morning so we will be in Corinth again tomorrow.  If you want a shirt or have  not gotten your shirt, you can text us at 415-0190 to meet us in town & pick it up.  We will be going by some businesses tomorrow that have ordered shirts and delivering them.  If you work in Corinth and want us to stop by your work for a shirt, please just text us to let us know.  


I hope you all have a wonderful day & if it's as hot in your location as ours (103 today) then please stay cool!  Thank you all for continuing to follow our adventure!  Say a little prayer for us and all our children tonight!  Love you all! Niki


"But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." (NKJV)
Isaiah 40:31

Finding our purpose

So, the other night Niki and I stopped by the Slug-fest. I was interesting just walking around and talking to people. You haven't lived till you have attended a small town carnival. The coolest thing (besides those big blow-up balls with kids in them- if you were there, you know what I'm talking about) was the look of wonder in the kids eyes. They aren't bored like teens and adults. Everyday they learn something new and life is play and play is learning. What in the world happens to us as we mature? I'm no Socrates (I learned to spell his name watching Bill and Teds Ex. Adventure!), but it seems to me like our bodies mature (as we grow into our teens) and we keep on doing basically the same things we were doing when we were a kid. We hang out with friends, play video games, watch TV, etc. The difference between 6 and 16 is that we have sorta maxed out the learning potential from just hanging out with friends. It's not that doing these things is bad, but at 10, give me a backyard, my brother Jeremy Smith, a Red Ryder and I was content for hours. It was an adventure! At 18 we sat around on Shiloh Road and talked about how much we hated this small town. A lot of the wonder was fading with the current situation. It is at this time that people can start working on "difficult" things, but our brains go on auto-pilot. We are totally mature enough to undertake the significant, but we wait for God to throw us a bone. We wait for things to sorta fall into our laps. I see this all the time. My students (this could hold the same for 99.9% of folks) don't realize the impact that working on difficult thing can have on their lives. It is the not knowing of the outcome that creates the tension we need to find ourselves. We like to play a safety, but the not knowing of the outcome creates the same wonder that we had as a kid. It feels good to be the best at something- to
play within our comfort zone. We like to dominate something, but this does not open any new windows to what God wants from us. Everyone knows when they are born, but who among us really finds why they were born? We all have a purpose. Have you ever thought that there is a unique thing that only "you" can accomplish to make this world a better place? Our lives are not an accident. We can all make a difference. But what are the "difficult" things that I'm talking about? It is all about pushing the limits. Reading a novel is easy, writing one is NOT!!!!! Try to learn a new language. Will you be able to do it? Who knows? Who cares!?!!. The important thing is that you tried and the journey will open things in you that your never knew were there by just going through the automated motions of life. Try stepping out on that ledge. It is called Faith. The great men of Faith stepped beyond their comfort zone. Moses was content with his legs under another man's table, eating another mans food, but God had something bigger in store for ole Moses. He had something custom made for him. He has something custom made for me and you, but you can bet that we will both resist. It is only natural. Do you want that same wonder and anti-boredom you had when you were 6, when life was one big Slug-fest? Ask and you will receive- as the good book says. When we started this journey, I was weak and unsure. How will this all end? I really have no ideal? But God has given me new legs and a purpose. If I follow him, I will succeed. That I know. The long road to China is filled with uncertainty, but I know my child is there. And I will find him.
Phil

Simplifying - to God be the Glory

I wrote 2 nights ago about giving the ax to DirectTV to save $.  We are trying to simplify more to save $ and I got to thinking what do we really need?  We only have as much as we do by God's grace!  Why are we here and not a homeless, poverty stricken orphan in Africa or any other person?  Honestly, I don't know why God chose us to have all that we as Americans have, but we should be thankful for the simplest things in life.  I'm talking to myself because I'm so thankful for so much that I forget simplicity......food to eat, roof over our head, clothes to wear, etc.  Our children probably pray some of the best prayers when you sit there waiting to eat and they are praying "Thank you God for the sun, rain, doors, rocks, dirt, birds, dogs, cats, sky, grass, (they peek around with one eye and you think they are finishing)......and for the floor, the table, the chair, water, food, and the list goes on and on.  You know those prayers and it's the simplest things that they pray for that we often take for granted.   We want to be obedient to God's calling and honestly serving Him is the only way to true happiness.  We've all been so conditioned to the  "American Dream" and thinking about what we should have or deserve because we worked hard.  It's alright to turn down the material things we think we need in exchange for seeking God's will - for us it's taking orphans into our home. God calls us all to care for the orphans and the widows, I do not believe this means He calls us all to adopt  I believe that He does not call all to adopt,  but we can all help out the orphans and widows.  That may mean helping a widow shop, clean,  care for her children - financially &/or emotionally - maybe this would keep her from feeling like she had no choice but to give them up for adoption. It may mean being a support network for an orphan, supporting an organization that cares for orphans &/or widows.  Maybe for you it means helping someone bring their child home.  You can help the widows and orphans with support, your time, and prayers - it doesn't always have to be $ we are called to help with. And for a few lucky ones it means we have been called to bring a child into our home to love as we do all our other children because that is our gift. There are many things people can do to take care of others.  We do have nice things and I think most people think we have a lot more than we really have financially.  We've always been private and kept things to ourselves, but since we are taking you on our journey, we should bring you into our world.  We've read many, many places on how to save $ to adopt so you don't go broke.  It's kinda funny because I'm so cheap, I could have written most everything I've read and expanded on them! lol  Phil says if something costs $10, I'll find a way to pay $5 for it.......and he is right.  I honestly don't think if I was a billionaire I'd not find a way to save $ on purchases - that's just me!  I've been buying stuff up in bulk when it was on sale, buying for Christmas with clearance items in July, buying off-seasons, & shopping the discount stores even before "saving as much $ as you can on purchases" was the cool thing to do.   We work hard too and I'm not saying that entitles me to anything - think about how hard the Africans work everyday just to have food and water - I don't think i could ever carry those heavy pottery pieces filled with water on my back.......unless I had to for my family and I to survive!   But my point is that Phil & I learn how to do things ourselves and save lots of $.  When we bought our house, we got a really good price for it and  WE remolded it.  Unless it was something that was structural, we studied up on how to do it and WE did it!  We do that with everything we can. I don't buy name-brand.....unless I can purchase it on clearance, second-hand & as cheap as anything from Wal-Mart on sale!  lol  Unless it's something I HAVE to have for an occasion that popped up, I don't usually pay full price at Wal-Mart if I can help it - I shop for bargains with food, shampoo, and those type items, but I cannot always pay cheap, cheap prices for those, but I do my best!  However, I almost always buy the cheapest brand....unless it's ketchup and I cannot handle the off brand in it.......yeah, poor me.  lol     Ladies, Please don't get offended with what I'm gonna say next!   I read about people going to get pedicures or manicures  and there is nothing wrong with that.  But hold your jaw, I've never had a pedicure, massage, and only 2 manicures in my entire life.  2 manicures - our wedding and another occasion I'd completely bitten off my fingernails & was showing jewelry - both of those manicures came from a beauty college and they did a great job! Well, those of you that have ever looked at my hands can probably believe it; I definitely have work hands and that's o.k. with me! lol  We don't trade vehicles often and have had 3 vehicles since we married - 1 we had no choice in purchasing because we had totaled another vehicle.  We may shop around for a year before we make a purchase like that and we have purchased wrecked and repaired vehicles to save money.  This last vehicle we purchased was strictly because we needed more room.  We've told the kids they had better take care of it because it is going to last until the tires fall off. lol O.k. you can chuckle at this one too, but no one in the house really goes to get hair cuts but Colt. For Phil, he & I cut his hair with clippers & scissors.  I get maybe 2 haircuts a year from a beautician.  I use to cut Colt's hair, but I cannot make it look right so we pay $10 every 8-10 weeks to get his hair cut.  Why every 8-10 weeks?  Well, because I trim it up around his eyes & ears until it looses it shape.  And for Macy Jade, you guessed it; I cut her hair too.  We may not have the best hair around, but maybe my scissors are the fault of that.  Oh well, it doesn't seem to bother any of us! lol  It's just hair and it grows back.....eventually.  I'm a beauticians worst night mare when I come in to finally get the 4" dead ends cut off of my hair I've been cutting on for 6 months.  I could go on and on about how we rarely spend full price and about how cheap I am, but I would have a book.  I think you get the idea though.  Yes, some of my cheapness has come out of necessity for staying home for the last 8 years and some of it is I'm just plain ole' cheap!   We can all make sacrifices when it's important enough to us and staying at home was another calling from God so we adapted our lives so I could be here. The bottom line is GOD DOES PROVIDE!   Nothing here is really ours anyway. When we die we don't take it with us!  The more we get; it seems the more we want!   We just have to take that first step in faith; trust me it's not an easy step!!!  I don't know where the $ is coming from  to adopt our kids and pay all the medical bills, but God knows and I have faith in Him.    I believe we have to use our gifts to help ourselves and to have common sense in spending.  I don't think He is going to just drop down a bucket of $ into my bank account - however that would be nice.   It's about the choices we make, sacrificing (however how is leaving material things off for an orphan really sacrifice?) and just being obedient.  Please don't take this to mean we never do anything, but we decide what is important to us and cut corners to make it happen.  We have been blessed!  What would you do to bring your child home?  Yes, we are talking about orphans, but one or more of "those orphans" is/are our child(ren) & no different than Colt and Macy Jade to us.  If you had a child in another country, would you do all you had to bring him/her home to you?  We are really doing no different than most others would do for their kids.   We are just ordinary people cutting more corners on things that aren't necessities.  We are fundraising with shirts, sales, coffee,  sitting in the hot sun all day on the 4th of July meeting some of the nicest people.......but it was HOT and any other way we can help raise the $ ALONG with changing our lifestyle too.  We  hope that along our journey, we can also raise awareness and understanding of the situations in other countries, orphans, and on our soon to be multiracial family.   It's not much to ask to get our child(ren) out of a foreign orphanage!  In our house, we are all learning to live without more and I believe we will be happier in the end for it. We have never ever wanted to ask for help, but we will do whatever it takes to bring our child(ren) home - even if it means turning off the DirectTV and humbling ourselves to ask for help!   (0:   They say money isn't everything, but it sure helps the world turn round.....I know this may seem contradictory to my entire post.  I'm not referring to financial needs for materialistic items.  It takes a lot of $ to adopt internationally and to help these orphans and others less fortunate.   Also, ask someone that has a sick child and getting services denied because insurance will not pay and they cannot pay $30,000+ a month to help save the life of their child.  Alone, we cannot not concur much, but together I believe we could turn the world.   We are a work in process........To God be the Glory!  Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!  You have all been a blessing & encouragement to us!  Please continue to pray for us and ALL our children!