An email I received and something to think about....

WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so true: I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.' I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section. The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them. 'I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed 'Ho How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked. 'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments .' 'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked. 'Simple,' the angel answered . Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.' 'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked. 'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy .' 'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.' 'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day .' 'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.' 'If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world !' 'If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare .' 'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.' OK, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are. ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.: 'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people to share it with.' If you have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been blessed with, how can you not send it on???? I thank God for everything, especially all my family and friends!! Blessings with love

Happy 5th Birthday Maya...

Maya and Bella have been friends since they were little babies in the orphanage in Guatemala. The orphanage Hogar Cuna was in Quezaltenango, Guatemala . Eagles Nest orphanage has since replaced Hogar Cuna (Special Delivery - eaglesnestint.org , specialdeliver4kids.org)

Maya's 5th birthday is just a few days before Bella's 5th birthday in July, but her birthday was celebrated a little early this year. Maya had a fun pool party and Gabi, Bella, Vada and Teya had lots of fun!!!

Have Faith.....

'When You're Down to Nothing, God's up to Something'.... 'Worry looks around, sorry looks back,.... Faith looks up.'

Silvia ... mother of 10

"Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He could do something about it..., but I'm afraid God might ask me the same question." ~ Anonymous

There are times when we are called to love and give back......

Silvia and her husband have 10 beautiful children. I have never met this very poor family of Guatemala, but i love them very much. Through God, my friend Rosa and people i know going to Guatemala,I help feed this wonderful family and help buy school supplies for their school aged children to attend school. My very wonderful friend Esperanza is Guatemalan and her sister (and all her family)Rosa lives in Guatemala. I sent a package back with laura for Rosa to give to Silvia and other families. Espe talked to Rosa today and Rosa said" When Doreen sends gifts to help feed and help these poor guatemalan families , i never have to go look for them , God leads me to them every time......" and that is how i feel.....With God's helping hand, Rosa and i are helping many of his precious children.....I hope to meet them someday.

Back Home to Guatemala...

Laura , Neyvada's foster mother left Monday to go back to her family in Guatemala. Meeting her and having her a part of our family for a month was a reminder that God is there always with us and puts people in our lives for a reason sharing our lives with them.... for Laura every moment here with our family and in the United States was very special, a very special "dream come true". I will remember always her tears of gratefulness every night before she said "goodnight". She took back to Guatemala tons of pictures , 2 huge suitcases full of things bought and a heartfull of memeories she nor us will ever forget.......We will miss you Laura....

Smile - sunshine is good for your teeth. ~A. U.

Smiling is infectious, You can catch it like the flu. Someone smiled at me today, And I started smiling too. ~Author Unknown

Water Park Fun

We spent the last two sundays at the water parks...... Laura and the girls enjoyed the wave pool.

You know your an adoptive mother when.....

You know your an adoptive mother when...
This went around awhile ago, and i saw it on my friend Amy's blog today so I thought I'd share! You know you are an adoptive mother (or you should be!) if: 1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has ever made you lose sleep. 2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family. 3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing. 4. The fact that if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child, there would be no orphans in the world is convicting to you. 5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption. 6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about your adopted child's "real" parents. 7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth (2 years!) 8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway knowing where God calls you He will provide. 9. You have ever taken a airplane ride half way around the world with a child you just met. 10. You believe God's heart is for adoption. 11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacy's you could ever leave on this earth. 12. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have them in your life. 13. You know what the word Dossier means and you can actually pronounce it! 14. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life. 15. You know full well that the journey of your child coming into your family is one of the most wonderful, miraculous things that has ever happened to you.