Day 8...Reece's Rainbow Family

So, I flaked, yesterday. Making number 7 on the list of things I'm thankful for...grace. I missed it. I often do, but there's always grace and new mercies. I'm thankful for those, today.

Day 8...I'm thankful to be a part of the Reece's Rainbow family. I was emailing with another Mom, today, and I wrote, "I am blessed to be a part of the Reece's Rainbow family, too. I think, if more people knew about this added benefit to adoption, they'd be less likely to hesitate." When you commit to a child on Reece's Rainbow, you join a new family. It's like being adopted. Immediately, you are loved and accepted and one of the family. These people know how to love and love well. If you knew how much of our funding has come from other families in the adoption process or who already have their "pot of gold" home or from those who would love to adopt, but can't so they advocate their hearts out, you'd be blown away!


So many people who will cheer you on and cheer you up, when you're having a hard day. People who will deliver paperwork. People who will talk with you for hours about the questions you have regarding the process and the child you're bringing home. People who will do everything in their power to get you to your child. People who will fund raise for and with you. People who get it! Love this Reece's Rainbow family and I'm glad to be a part of it.


Today, I'm thankful that Reece's Rainbow is a part of my children's legacy. Their stories will forever be woven through with the bright-colored threads that are Reece's Rainbow.


Blessings,
Mandy

Thankful for my MAN!

I'm so thankful, I've made it to day 6 in my month of "Things I'm Thankful for..." I'm thankful, today, for a Godly husband. I have no idea where I'd be without Marty. I'm thankful, he's the kind of man who listens when God speaks. He works hard, plays hard and loves well. He is the best Daddy my kids could ever have.

God knew, I would need a man who was very, very patient and he gave me Marty. The most patient, slow to anger, person I know. He serves others with excellence. Though we joke that he would only take a bullet for me if it wasn't fatal, I know he would lay down his life for me or any one of our 4 children. He is quick not only to demonstrate his love for us, but to verbalize it. He says, "I love you." more often than anyone I know.

Marty laughs when I get all worked up about some trivial thing and I laugh, too. After being married for nearly 12 years, he is my best friend. There is no one else I'd rather spend my time with. When he's working, we miss his presence in our home. My kids sleep through the night on any given night, but let Daddy be working third shift and into my bed they come. He is our security, our safe place. His arms are always open to us. I am blessed that he chose me to share a lifetime with. So, today, I am thankful for Marty, the one I love.

(He's going to kill me for posting this)

Blessings,
Mandy

Things I'm Thankful for: Take 5

5 days in and I'm going to have to make a list and choose wisely. There's so much to be thankful for that once I get started it's hard to choose just one per day to share. Since, I'm sure your time is limited...

Today, I am thankful for the few Saturdays a year when we have no activities planned. The Saturdays when we get to be lazy and snuggle in, play games and read books. So, today's post is short, because we're having a lazy Saturday afternoon and we're loving it. A day full of my favorite people...I am thankful.

Blessings,
Mandy

Day 4 of Things I'm Thankful For...Forever Family Friday

Today, I'm thankful for Reece's Rainbow and the opportunity to advocate for the littles there who are waiting for a family. I (try to) post a Forever Family Friday post every Friday and I'm thankful that from over here in my own little world, I can be a voice for God's children.

Reece's Rainbow is just kicking off their Christmas Angel Program! I've talked about it here before, because I'm Meredith's Christmas warrior. You can read more about Meredith over on our blog for her: Meredith's Miracle.

Today, I'm going to link you to the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree and encourage you to go have a look. Each child needs a family and each warrior has a $1000 goal for their child. The idea is the by choosing a child and hollering as loudly as we can and as often as we can between now and Christmas, we will (hopefully) find our child a family and raise $1000 grant to help that family get started with their adoption.

If you make a donation of $35 or more to a child's account, Reece's Rainbow will send you a beautiful ornament with that child's photo on one side and this picture on the other...

So, today I'm am thankful that I can make a difference in the life of a child. Are you?

Pray, Adopt, Advocate, Support...Be Thankful you live in a place where you can do any one or all of those things!

Hidden in Christ,
Mandy

The Kindness of Friends and Strangers

Day 3- I am thankful for the kindness and generosity of strangers and friends. Yesterday, I took Julianna to gymnastics, which is something I do every Wednesday. Nothing unusual. I have made great friends in the long hours of sitting and watching Julie learn a skill set. We cheer for and encourage each other and share stories about our lives and our kids. If you're a soccer Mom or gymnastics Mom, you know where I'm coming from. These ladies are good people and yesterday, one of them, showed up for us!

I watch Julianna's class along with the other parents from the observation room that looks down into the gym. When I left yesterday, to head downstairs and pick my girl up, taped to the door was an envelope with "Mandy" written on the front. I hesitated and looked around the room, wondering was this really for me. I've never received an envelope taped to a public door before. Who else could it be for though? No other Mandy's that I know of at our gym. So, I took the envelope, opened it quickly and peeked inside to read the note. I saw the words adoption and boys and knew it was for me. I also saw a stack of cash and shoved it all into my purse. 

Class was over and I finished those last minute conversations. The "have a good evening" and "we'll see you Friday" conversations and then I hopped in the van with my girl and drove off. Pulled out the envelope and read the note closer, only to find that this gift had been given anonymously. It was a generous gift, too...$145. That's right, a friend who I spend a couple of hours a week sharing an observation room with gave us $145 to help bring our boys home. I'm thankful that God spoke and this friend listened. 

I'm thankful for the reminder that we must live our lives out loud. We must share our stories and love well the people whom God puts in our path. I am thankful for this family's obedience and their generosity. I am equally thankful for each donation we've received on this journey to our boys. It blesses us, not just financially, but it speaks to our hearts. It's like you stood up and cheered us on! Every dollar given is a dollar that says, "We believe your boys lives are valuable. We believe they belong at home with you." 

Today, I am thankful for the kindness of friends and strangers.

Pray, Adopt, Advocate, Support...

Hidden in Christ,
Mandy

Attitude of Gratitude

One thing I've learned is that life is what we make of it. Our attitude determines how our day will go. A few years ago, I hated doing dishes. If I could avoid doing the dishes, I would. I'd grumble and complain my way through them. I still have days like that. It seems like everyone else in the world has a dishwasher and I still don't. My kids are piling dirty dishes beside me as I wash and I wonder, will it ever end?

Then, something changes. I remember a little poem that I found online a few years ago. It changed the way I will look at dirty dishes, forever. I memorized that little poem, by taping it to my kitchen window and reading it over and over, again, as I washed the dishes. My little index card is long gone, but the words have taken up residence in my heart and when I choose to remember them, I know I am blessed.

Thank God for dirty dishes;
They have a tale to tell.
While others are going hungry,
We're eating very well
With home and health, and happiness,
I shouldn't want to fuss;
For by this stack of evidence,
God's very good to us.

Author Unknown


It really is all in how you look at it. So, today, I am thankful for dirty dishes, because they mean that God is providing generously for our family. I am blessed to be able to wash dishes that held nourishing food for my children.

What task do you hate to do? Can you change the way you look at it? Find a new perspective, an attitude of gratitude.

Hidden in Christ,
Mandy

30 days of Gratitude?!?

Day 1 of a 30 day challenge. A challenge to focus on all that I'm grateful for. How amazing that during this 30 days I will meet two new sons. That's for another post, on another day, though. Today, I have to start at the beginning, the thing that I have to be most grateful for and that's my relationship with Jesus Christ.

To know and be known by the Creator of the Universe is no small thing, but many days I take Him for granted. I fail to find the time to spend with Him that I should. I fail to listen when I know He's calling. I'm so thankful, today, that His mercy is new every morning. He looks my way and sees His daughter. I have been adopted into His family, grafted into the vine and covered with the blood of Jesus Christ. He died for me.

I am thankful that I know who I am in Him. I am thankful, for who He created me to be. Thankful that He continues to mold me into that new creation. A creation that on it's best days points to His glory and on it's worst days is covered by His grace. I love Jesus. He's been my friend since I was a very little girl. I have felt His very near presence on more occasions than I can count. He has held me together, been my protector, my fortress, my shelter from the storms of life. He is my everything.

I pray that if you don't know this Jesus, you will search the scripture or reach out to a believer who will help you know Him. He's worth knowing. You'll never be more thankful that you took the time to make a friend.

Hidden in Christ,
Mandy