Happy Gotcha Day!

If you have been following me for a while, you might know by now that I am not one to be overcome by emotion... (JUST KIDDING!) or to celebrate a random holiday... (gotcha again!), but today is TOTALLY LEGIT!!! I promise! At least for one sweet little girl and her forever family!

Happy "Gotcha" Day, Ava!!!

Today, I am giddy with excitement for a sweet little girl (and thousands like her) will be celebrating National Adoption Day by being legally adopted by their foster families.  While the situations that land children in foster care are atrocious, the loving families that step in to care for these precious children are an amazing blessing.


Whether they are in their care for two days or two years, every child that is placed in a loving home is blessed, but they are far from alone... the foster family is blessed, the extended family is blessed, the covenant family is blessed, the community is blessed.

And then, if it is God's will and the courts allow, sometimes, something REALLY special happens, and that sweet bundle of joy that you never carried in your womb, but have carried in your heart from the moment you got the call, becomes yours... FOREVER!

Congratulations to Ava Jane Vesper and the Vesper Family!  The Roses are thrilled for you all!

You know what they say, "If the glass slipper fits, wear it!"

Did you know that there are over 100,000 children in foster care waiting for permanent, loving homes?  I know that it takes families with a special heart to care for foster children and to adopt.  If you are one, "Thank YOU!"   If you have ever considered foster care or adoption, keep praying and learning and talking to families who have been there.  If it is not at all on your radar, consider encouraging someone who is caring for a foster child or thinking about it.  Shower them with your prayers and your love.

Cheers!
Sarah

Happy "Marooned without a Compass Day!"

Well, to tell you the truth... I had every intention of making "Election Day" cookies, but it just wasn't going to happen this week with a sick little one... so I decided I would share these... "Marooned without a Compass Day" cookies instead.  ;^)

When I was in college, I spent a couple of years studying leadership in the Pryor Leadership Study Course at William Jewell College.  One of the books that we read was Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People."  I have obviously forgotten much of what I learned, but one of the things that stuck with me was the idea of "True North" that there are principles, such as fairness, justice, honesty, integrity, human dignity, service, quality, potential, and trust, which are self-evident, self-validating natural laws that are always there, always reliable, like the “true north” on a compass.   That "As Cecil B. deMille observed of the principles contained in his monumental movie, The Ten Commandments, 'It is impossible for us to break the law.  We can only break ourselves against the law.' " (Covey, p.33)

When I studied overseas there was a great British reality/game show called "Don't Forget Your Toothbrush!" (You can still watch it on YouTube, if you have an hour to waste and want a good laugh. ;^)) Basically, if you were in the audience, you had a chance to leave, immediately, for a dream vacation... but you didn't want to get caught without your toothbrush...

I hope that when you do go to vote, you will not feel "Marooned without a Compass," but that you will have your conscience as your guide, know what principles are important to you, and vote accordingly...  

I suppose I will have to save my cool new elephant cookie cutter for another day... maybe in January.  ;^)

Take Care and Don't Forget Your Compass,
Sarah