The Last Christmas

Again with the non-original blog content.

But, this is pretty special to me... a sweet little gift this morning. It's seeming increasingly likely that we'll have a post-Christmas baby.  A few minutes ago, I was working away and listening to my Pandora Christmas station, and "The Last Christmas" by Sixpence None the Richer started playing. The lyrics caught my attention... I think you'll see why I liked it so much.

I feel your heart beating

Inside my own skin

And I think of Mary

In Bethlehem

That night in a stable

Our Saviour was born

Yes, we have so much

To be thankful for

On the last Christmas

The last Christmas

The last Christmas

Without you

We're choosing the colors

Preparing your room

For one day; Midsummer

The advent of you

Together we wait for

A heavenly gift

Is winter a wonder?

Enchanted that this is

The last Christmas

The last Christmas

The last Christmas

Without you

See the stars shining from above

Hear the Seraphim singing

Praise to the Giver of Life and Love

Maker of Beautiful things..

I feel you heart beating

Inside my own skin

And I think of Mary

In Bethlehem

When darkness was shattered

The dawn of God's grace

And the journey'd begun

To the first Easter day

On the this Christmas

The last Christmas

The last Christmas

The very last Christmas

The last Christmas

Without you

I Found This Funny

Continuing in the spirit of non-original blog content (I'm too brain-dead for anything else at this point), I wanted to share something that gave both Jacob and me a really hearty laugh. Some of you might not find it quite as funny, but I hope you'll still love us anyway.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog March to Keep Fear Alive

I have a thing for political satire. I find the "talking heads" on the major news channels to be just about as ridiculous as the "fake" news shows, and the people that are intentionally sarcastic are a whole lot more funny and not quite so alarming to me. Anyway, sorry for the lack of meaningful content here lately... I'm pretty much consumed with one recurring thought. How do I get this child to evict? That doesn't make for very entertaining blog posts.

And no, if you're wondering... still no signs of baby.

PS: I first saw this on Kristen's blog, Rage Against the Minivan. She's a great writer who I've been following for a couple of years, and she never fails to make me laugh. Like a few weeks ago when she wrote about her little boy's encounter with the peeing horse... I laughed till I cried.

Too Adorable

Nope. No baby yet.

But at our Christmas service this last Sunday, they showed this absolutely adorable nativity video.



I'm not sure who my favorite is... the sheep or the star, the sheep or the star. It's a toss-up. Or maybe it's the third king.

Oh, and we had glo-sticks at the end, too. It was a proper party.

A Good Read

Fall is in the air, and with it, my desire to curl up on the couch with a hot mug of tea, my fuzzy white blanket, and a good book has definitely arrived.  If I could run down to a book shop this afternoon after work, these are the two titles I'd pick up.  I haven't read either of them, but I want to... I plan to... whenever I can get my hands on a copy.

But even though I'm learning a lesson in delayed gratification, you probably don't have to... both of these books are out there today; ready to be brought home and made your own.

Somewhere More Holy: Stories from a Bewildered Father, Stumbling Husband, Reluctant Handyman, and Prodigal Son by Tony Woodlief
(I know very little about this book, but the excerpt I read was beautifully written and full of raw honesty and grace... I think it will be a good one.)

Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother by Xinran
(OK, so this one is only available on Kindle right now.  This doesn't look like a "feel-good" book, but it does look like a book of truth spoken in love.  A book that book that perhaps will deepen our perspectives and understanding of one another.)

If you're so inclined to purchase either of these books right away, clicking on the above links should send a portion of your sale to NDFH.  I think I did it right.  :)

Going Fast

We're hanging out in Albuquerque with Jacob's oldest brother, his wife, and their adorable 16-month-old daughter Haven.  We're having a great time, but unfortunately time is slipping by far too quickly... we've already passed the half-way point of our trip!!!  :(

Oh well, no time like the present... so I'm going to get back to enjoying present-company.  But I did want to tell you that we've just launched our summer/fall line for Scarlet Threads, and you can participate in our naming contest on the ST blog or even pick up one of the new products if you see something you like.  (Which won't be hard... as everything is adorable.)

Dallas Meeting

Do you live in or close to Dallas?

We'll be there soon, and we're hosting a little gathering on Tuesday, July 6 from 6-8 pm at the Springcreek BBQ in Lewisville.  (Click for map.)  Springcreek is handy because they offer a free meeting room, and it is easy for everyone to order food on their own and eat together... We like simple. :)

So, we hope you can come and eat with us! Please let us know if you will be able to come... and pass this along to anyone else you think might be interested in learning about the work of NDFH and what we're doing there. We aren't going to have a formal presentation... maybe just talk a bit, but spend most of the time eating and hanging out.

I think some New Day grads are going to be coming, which I'm super-excited about. And, since they are all mini-celebs, you might be excited too. :)

Ulanbattar?!

I don't usually blog at 6 in the morning.

But then again, I also don't usually kiss my husband goodbye at 5:45 in the morning as he goes to get on a plane to Ulanbattar, the capital of Mongolia.

He's going with two other men from our organization to teach a finance and business class to a group of 30 Mongolian pastors.  He's nervous, as he doesn't think public speaking or teaching is one of his strengths.  I'm nervous, as I can imagine all sorts of terrible things that could happen to him on the trip.

So if you think of us, will you say a prayer that Monday comes quickly and he's back safe and soundly?  And, most importantly, that he's used in ways he doesn't anticipate.

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Jacob and I are getting an opportunity to come to the good 'ole US of A later this month!  We leave on June 28 for Houston, TX where Jacob's youngest brother will be getting married over the 4th of July weekend.  (For those familiar with Scarlet Threads, the beautiful bride-to-be is Eileen, my ST co-laborer!)  We'll be spending that first week in Houston and then driving through Dallas and (possibly) Waco.  I know for sure we'll be doing a little get-together like we did last summer in Dallas.  It will be sometime in the week after the 4th of July.  If you want more details, please e-mail us and we'll keep you posted.  Also toying with the idea of doing something similar in Houston, though not sure if there's really any interest for that... so, if you are in the Houston vicinity and would be interested in meeting up, please let me know.  We've already got a pretty full Houston schedule, but we might squeeze a group gathering in if there's interest.  I personally think it's a lot of fun to meet people who I've come to know and love through the blog, so I hope you'll stop by if you can!  We'll be in the states until August 2... the latter part of our trip will be spent in the Vancouver, WA area -- so we could do a gathering in that area, too, if there's interest.  The bulk of our time will be spent in the TX Panhandle.

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I've realized something, sitting here in a quiet house this morning... I think I keep half-way expecting/bracing myself for God to "pull a Job" on me.  We've recently been blessed in a major way.  (I'll explain more later.)  The other day, I was talking to one of the older, wiser Chinese women I have the pleasure of working with, and I told her that I was totally not expecting to be blessed in this way.  She smiled and told me that God loves us and is happy to give us good gifts.  In my head, I thought: "Yes, but God loves the starving Africans, too.  And he loves the orphans who have been abandoned with 5+ special needs too.  And why should I get so many good gifts when other people, who He also loves, suffer so much?"

I know some people struggle with a sense of entitlement with God... sort of an "I deserve XYZ!  Why won't you let me have it?"  My struggle is the opposite.  When something good happens, I often find myself bracing for the object lesson that "inevitably will follow."  You know, the one where God allows the "good thing" to be taken away from me so that He can see how faithful I am and whether or not I really love Him come fair or foul weather.  To be honest, these object lessons haven't inevitably followed.  God hasn't "pulled a Job" on me.

And I don't like being so suspicious of God.  

But I have a hard time living in the present moment of His daily goodness.  A good friend told me last week, "The one place God can't be with us is in our fears about the future."  He's not there, because the fears aren't real.  They haven't happened yet.  God is only with us in the here and now, and we experience Him when we live in the present - accepting His gifts and letting Him carry our trials.

So as I imagine all the terrible things that could take my husband -- who I love so very much -- away from me, I'm not experiencing God.  And, I'm failing to embrace the moment in thankfulness and praise.  I'm not thanking God for stretching my husband out of his comfort zone; for giving him a new experience and opportunity; for using the wisdom I know he has in this area to bless others.  I get wrapped up in imaginary disasters and then question His goodness and mercy.

God is a lot scarier in my imagination than He is in my experience.  

Cute Stuff

For those who don't regularly check the Scarlet Threads site or blog... you're not going to want to miss this! The launch of our new spring line!!!

Here's a little taste of one of my favorites:

With Mother's Day coming up and then the bridal shower season just around the corner, you should take a look and see what you'd find....

What a Gift

Photo Credit

When I was a little girl, I noticed on a calendar a line of small print on the date of my birthday, March 8. It said "International Women's Day."

I loved that. I had a t-shirt that said I was going to be the first woman president. It was my favorite.

As an aspiring feminist, I was thrilled to have such a special day for my birthday. The problem was no one else realized it was women's day. No one in my small town in Texas celebrated it, except me.

But now I live in China. And Women's Day is a recognized holiday! We ladies even got a half day off work for it! And I still get a kick out of sharing my birthday with such a wonderful holiday, because I really do think women should be recognized more. (Granted, life isn't so bad for ladies in the good 'ole USofA, but it's not the case in many other countries.)

Maybe it's my old feminist tendencies (note: I'm not the bra-burning, man-hating sort), but I fully agree with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's democracy movement, when she said, "The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all."

That's a big part of the reason we started Scarlet Threads. So, in honor of Women's Day, Scarlet Threads is hosting a giveaway of a beautiful hand-woven scarf made by Karen refugees living in Houston. You should check it out. And spread the word.

If nothing else, do it for my birthday? Pretty please?

A Greater Tragedy

I've long been a fan of No Hands But Ours... I think it's great to mobilize and encourage people to adopt children with special needs. Stefanie, of Ni Hao Ya'll, invited me to be a guest contributor for No Hands But Ours, and I was thankful to accept the invitation.

I wrote a few thoughts about losing Tristan over there today... want to join me?

Where I Am

I'm writing over at Grown in My Heart today... just some random thoughts about culture and kids.  Want to follow me there?

Also, Grown in My Heart is hoping to participate in the BlogHer conference with a Room of Your Own.  (I'm not well-informed about the conference or what goes on there, but I think they're hoping to have a dedicated place to discuss adoption, infertility, and loss.)  So they need votes to get it!  If you have a BlogHer account, please login and vote for the room.

Fight Apathy

I understand the feelings of apathy bread by magnitude.

I understand the numbing effect caused by surreal photographs cycling on CNN as if on horrific repeat.

I understand the feelings of distance and separation caused not only by the fact that the disaster seems to be happening on another planet, but also because it looks like something out of an Armageddon movie. 

I get all that.

But I've also seen the power of a multitude of individuals who each chip in a little bit to bring about real and lasting hope.  I've seen it in the work that we do here.   We can make a difference. 

Apathy doesn't have to win.

The people of Haiti need our love, support, and prayers.  And in the midst of a crisis, love and support speaks most loudly when it comes in the form of a clean drink of water, a new tarp for a tent, and a slice of bread for an empty belly.  Someone should take away Pat Robertson's microphone and instead put it in the hands of the believers who respond to crisis with pure love... people like Troy and Tara. 

They're normal people - just like you and me - who happen to live in Haiti.  They aren't saints, but they are getting their hands dirty for the Kingdom.  If you're looking for a way to get involved in the Haitian relief effort, might I recommend World Wide Village?  Troy and Tara are the in-country directors, and I know they will handle gifts with dignity and love. 

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This seems oddly inappropriate linked to this post, but I didn't want to make a separate post about this.  Tanya over at Acorns and Cherry Blossoms is hosting a Scarlet Threads giveaway of her own! 

Shaky Ground

Will you pray for our friends in Haiti?  Though you've probably already seen it on the news, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 earthquake, with the epicenter near the capital where our friends live and serve. 

Troy and Tara and their big clan have some amazing hearts... we haven't met in person, but the work they do in Haiti is beautiful.  They have been such an encouragement to us on more than one occassion.

Haiti's a hard place to be on a good day.  "Normal" suffering there is too much to bear... Add a horrific earthquake and you have unimaginable conditions. They have a whole brood of little ones, who are understandably frightened.  Please pray for their family, friends, and community. Pray that though the earth may move, their faith will remain unshaken -- grounded firmly on the Rock.

A Few Things

Judah's in ICU tonight.  They've said the dismal words: heart failure.  We're trusting that he is safe in God's palm and that all will be well no matter what tomorrow brings.  And though his life is miracle enough, we're praying for another one.  Join us?

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I want to say thank you for your understanding, compassion, encouragement, and prayers after my last blog post.  I have to say, you are the most encouraging group of people ever.  I love you.  I've spent 5 minutes working on this next sentence, and still it escapes me.  This is the best I can do... Working in a world where loving sick, orphaned children is a daily reality forces me to confront more sorrow and suffering than I'd like to admit exists.  It hurts.  I can tolerate it for a while, but sometimes it crashes down.  Those last 2 blog posts were a crashing moment for me.  But, I'm going back up, and it will be OK.  There's a lot that helps it creep back up... meeting a wonderful family who is in China adopting their 7-year-old-daughter right now, the encouraging comments/emails/notes/etc. that you all sent me, and even the fact that Cora has recently started growling like a little lion and then dissolving into giggles.  It's adorable, and it's one of the many daily graces God gives to remind me that He has never left.

He is brighter than the darkness.

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And, Jacob and I are thrilled to announce that our first Scarlet Threads shipment is on its way to the states to be coming to a mailbox near you very, very soon.  A friend is serving as a courier, so they will be mailed very soon.  For those of you who missed your chance before, I'm posting a new stock to the shop, so you can get started shopping now!  Oh, and there are much better pictures now, thanks to my beautiful model friends.

And don't forget that we're having a giveaway right now!  Click on over to see how you can enter!

On a related note... Scarlet Threads has become all-consuming lately, so if you've emailed me and haven't heard back, give me a few days to catch up on my email.  I'm sorry.  The quantity of unanswered emails in my inbox slightly terrifies me.

Scarlet Threads

We've had a busy launch week at Scarlet Threads.

First of all, you, my bloggy friends, are primarily the ONLY place we launched this, and you responded strong!  We sold a whole lot of aprons in our first week.  (At least, what I consider to be a whole lot, considering our marketing efforts were at a bare minimum.) 

And, we now have a "button" you can put on your blog, to help us with marketing.  See it there, over to the right?  Some of you have already mentioned our products on your blog (thank you!), but if you haven't, and you want to, we certainly won't complain.  :) 

We're still keeping things sort of small right now, just because we don't want a flood of orders that we can't possibly fill before Christmas.  But we haven't yet reached that limit, so if you want to buy a Christmas present with a unique heart, click on over.

Also, some of you have already submitted ideas for future products--like handmade dolls, table runners, child-sized aprons, potholders, etc., but if you have another brilliant idea, I'd love to hear about it!

A Different Model

Taking a brief break from my China lessons, I wrote at Grown in My Heart today.  Will you join me there?

Our Life in a List

• Jill asked to see pictures from the wedding. You can see some here. I did the flowers and anything else that was beribboned. I can seriously go crazy with a roll of ribbon. I didn't take any pictures of the wedding, though. So the ones on the other blog are the only ones I have. It was a beautiful wedding -- a true east meets west celebration. The ceremony was very western and the reception very Chinese... and they had quite possibly the best send off I have ever seen at a wedding. First there were confetti cannons (very Chinese), then there was an aisle of people throwing flower petals (very western), followed by fireworks that went off at just the right moment (very Chinese)... the whole courtyard was awash in the light of red lanterns... it really was beautiful!
  
  
• In the "food for thought" category, I'd encourage you to go read this article entitled The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong in Harper's Magazine. While I think the author arguably overstates a few of his points, his core message is something that I think we Christians should seriously consider. (Interesting side note: You'll notice the article is several years old - though arguably still very relevant. I first found this article a week or so ago linked on the blog of a woman who referenced it as a good description of the reasons why she is not a Christian.
  
  
• In the "sorry to be a downer" category, this story in the LA Times also caught my attention recently. It makes me so sad -- everything can be corrupted. I also watched a video recently where an adoption coordinator from a well-known agency in the USA was going through an Ethiopian village announcing that if anyone wanted to send their child to America, they'd be there for "one day only" to take relinquishment papers. It gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. The line between providing much-needed families for orphans and providing a market for a get-rich-quick scheme can sometimes be shockingly thin.
  
  
• In exciting foster home news this week, we found out the Madeline and Cameron have both been matched with adoptive families. That's always wonderful news. And I start getting curious about who is going to take their places when they leave... Madeline will be going to France and Cameron to Sweden. I think it is amusing that we named her Madeline and that now she's going to France... prophetic, maybe?! :)
  
  
• We are quickly approaching the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PR of C. The big shebang is October first. Things always get a little weird around this time of year -- more so this year than before due to the fact that it is the 60th anniversary. Nothing dangerous... things are just more sensitive and tight than normal, and normal is more sensitive and tight than we're used to as Americans. It's things like -- they stopped selling knives (of any sort) because someone was stabbed in Beijing last week; there are checkpoints everywhere; as foreigners we've been asked to "lay low" and avoid unnecessary attention, etc. So please just think about us during this time -- that we will remain safe, protected, and shielded from any trouble.
  
  
• The positive side to October holiday is a week of no work! I'm excited about a week to just chill at our apartment, reading, resting, and recharging. Lately we've both been feeling so tired and worn out... I think sometimes we spread ourselves too thin, and I find myself craving quiet and peace. I know I'm not the only one.
  
  
• This list is getting too long, so I'm just going to cap it off with a picture of a cute kid. Because that's what we specialize in here. Consider it your reward for getting to the end of this post. And just so you know, the cherub with the deliciously chubby cheeks is Melody.
  

How to Make Jet Lag Worse

Wanna know how to make a case of jet lag last longer?

Sleep during the day, succumbing to the temptation to let your body rest on it's "old clock." It ensures you sleep soundly at 3 in the afternoon, but wake up at 3 in the morning, fully wired and furious with yourself for not being asleep when all the normal people are.

Wanna know what we did today?

Just that.

Totally gave into the temptation for a Sunday afternoon nap. Slept from 3 pm to 7 pm. Sleep is like a drug. It is irresistible.

So, needless to say, we're back in China. Had a marvelous time with family and friends, and now we're recuperating from a very busy trip.

So if you see us online in the middle of your day, know it is because we just can't say no.

Getting Organized

So I wasted spent some time today adding a label function to the blog. I couldn't bring myself to apply labels to all 288 posts that are on this blog as of today, but I did do a whole bunch of them! You can see the list of categories and their descriptions over on the right column under the "Our Blog by Topic" heading. Now you can surf the blog by topic. Yippee! Bet you had something better to do on your summer afternoon!

Grown in My Heart

I've started occasionally writing for another website called Grown in My Heart. It's an adoption network, and there are lots of interesting ladies who write from lots of interesting perspectives... all adoption-related. You should get on over there and check it out! And while you do, you can see my latest article about The Other Family.