Watoto

It is fitting that tonight, I got to see the Watoto Childrens' Choir from Uganda, Africa perform at a local church. Oh my goodness...my heart is just overflowing!!! I have seen the choir twice before and each time, I seem to forget how wonderful it is! First of all, those kids can DANCE!!! Man, can they dance! They can sing. And they LOVE JESUS more than anything! Plus, they are all orphans who have been "adopted" by the Watoto ministry. Watoto has given them a home, a "family", three hot meals a day, school, medical care, clean clothes...everything they need in order to feel safe and secure. But more importantly, the Watoto ministry has given them hope...hope for today and hope for their future. They have learned that God loves them - if they were abandoned, left for dead, or orphaned by AIDS or war - they know that regardless of all of their pain, God will never leave them and never forsake them, and He loves them!

To see the joy in their eyes - knowing that they have every reason in the world to hang their heads - is so inspiring and humbling. To hear their little voices praise God, to see them dance with sweat dripping from their chins, to see their bright smiles...it makes my heart smile. It makes me realize what it means to truly serve God, to love Him and worship Him, and praise Him with EVERYTHING you are. They do! They realize - more than most of us do - that they owe God everything! Some of these kids were orphaned toddlers on the streets! Some of them were abducted by rebels and forced to kill at an age when most children are playing on a swing set in the back yard! Their stories are incredible, but even though most of our stories are not even close to theirs, we still have our own battles. We still have times when we feel alone, abandoned, neglected, confused. We experience loss and hurt and disappointment.

Watoto has a message for whomever is watching, and that is "because of God, we have HOPE!" There is no problem too big for Him.

I'll admit, I've had a little bit of an emotional day just missing London. We finished decorating for Christmas, hung her sweet ornaments on our tree, hung her pink stocking in the center of the mantle...all of those things. I've just been sad today. So when I saw the video of precious, innocent babies who have been rescued from garbage piles, toilets, and the streets, I just couldn't help but get just mad that my baby died, and I wanted her more than ANYTHING in this world, yet people are just dumping their babies in the trash or flushing them down toilets! It's just so hard to even fathom how that could happen. Okay...off my soapbox now. Anyway, praise God that Watoto is saving these babies and nursing them back to health and allowing them to grow and prosper.

It's sort of like God with us. We are like helpless infants left for dead. If someone doesn't save us, we will surely die...we are hopeless. But just like Watoto, God comes along and rescues us. He cleans us up, nurses us back to health, heals our wounds, eases our pain, and saves us! He gives us hope for our future! Now that is something to be thankful for!

I was also reminded tonight that, in the midst of the childrens' hurt, pain, sadness and grief, they had JOY. They were so thankful, and they were still praising God! How often have I been sad or down, and I have just chosen to have a pity party and sulk and cry and bathe in my misery! It's happened a lot! You know what? Those kids are not having pity parties! They are CHOOSING to have joy, to see the glass half full, to count their blessings. If they can do it, so can I.

So, I am so thankful. I am thankful for my salvation and the assurance that God loves me although I disappoint Him and mess up often! I am thankful that I know that my baby girl is with Him, safe and secure. I am thankful for my precious boys who bring so much love and laughter and joy and happiness to my life. They are my everything! I am thankful for my husband who loves his family and loves the Lord. I am thankful for my church, my job and the children I work with, my wonderful friends and family, and my home. I am thankful that I can get out of bed every morning and be independent and go and do as I please. If you've ever seen the ESPN special on Kyle Maynard (google him and be amazed and inspired), you'll realize what a blessing it is to have arms and legs. I am thankful for little moments like now when I look next to me, and Jagger is asleep on the couch with his little Pirates of the Caribbean pj's on, cuddled in a blanket, and breathing softly.

There is just so much to be thankful for. I could just keep going and going. My point is that it is so easy to point out all that's going wrong. I'm speaking to myself here! It's so easy to focus on the negative - whether it's grief and sadness or spilling your coffee on your shirt! It's easy to point out the bad stuff and to sulk about it. But, it's so much more gratifying and fulfilling to point out the good, the positive, the blessings! After all, they are endless!

I challenge you - just as I challenge myself - to see the good, the positive, the blessings! Let's see the glass half full and have joy in our hearts because God loves us!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!


** In 2005, my dad, sister, aunt and other church members went to Uganda to build a home for the children in a Watoto village. I know from their experiences how pure and Christ-centered this ministry is, and I encourage you to visit their website at http://www.watoto.com/. Prepare for a blessing!

My handsome boys!

A few days ago, I made an attempt to get at lease one good picture for Christmas cards. Although it was like herding cattle trying to get them to both look at me, face certain directions, and smile...we luckily got some cute shots! Here are my adorable little boys :)



And, NO, I didn't tell them to do that face! Not sure what they were doing...but isn't it cute?!!!

Should this be a poster for "Brotherly Love" or what?! My sweet boys...

Uhhh, wait a minute. Okay, maybe this would be a more accurate poster for "Brotherly Love". One tormenting the other. Yep, I think this is more accurate!

We went to Jackson's Orchard in Bowling Green, and the Cider Slider was a hit (isn't that a great name?)!! And it was free :) And there were maybe 5 kids there the day we went, so there was NO line! So...free and no line means that Jagger (and Jack and Daddy and Mommy) went down the Cider Slider a BUNCH!!!


Jonathan's hair blowing in the wind. Jack's little mullet blowing in the wind. Life is good!!

Wish we had one in our back yard!

Major progress :)

If you have read very much of my blog, you have seen where I have struggled with facing "baby girl" things. It has been very tough - and at times, impossible - for me to even look at baby girls, hold baby girls, look at baby girl clothes at the store, and buy baby girl gifts. I had to leave my friend's baby shower at school one time because she was having a baby girl and when she started opening up all of the precious little "pink" things, I just couldn't take it. I ran to my classroom and bawled my eyes out. I couldn't visit my best friends for their baby showers, I didn't go to the hospital when their baby girls were born, and I couldn't even go to see their babies for quite a while...and they were my best friends.

You may think that's just ridiculous, and you may be totally right. I will say that I tried, but my emotions just got the best of me back then. I explained my feelings and my struggles to my friends and they were wonderful at understanding and respecting my feelings.

Okay, having said that...yesterday at school, we had a baby shower for two teachers at our school. One teacher is having a baby boy next month, and the other teacher has a 3 month old baby girl. Her husband and baby girl came to the shower, too. Would you believe that I actually was in a store and chose to look at baby girl clothes, choose a precious little outfit for her, and I bought it! And to top it off, I even picked out a pink, "girl" card for her. I actually bought it willingly and without tears! The outfit even said, "Apple of Mommy's Eye", and I didn't even cry!

During the shower, I was totally fine (as I expected) as my one friend opened all of the precious little blue things for her baby boy. Surprisingly enough, I was completely fine as my other friend opened all of the prissy, pink things for her baby girl. I didn't even feel sad. And...I even held her baby girl almost the entire time.

Do you know how big of a deal this is for me? I know, I know...it sounds goofy. It may sound ridiculous. Well, let me just say that this is the second time that I have bought a baby girl outfit in 3 years. For the longest time, I wouldn't even go near the "girl" section in the store, and I would buy a general baby card - definitely not a "little girl" card. I usually bought gift cards so that I wouldn't have to deal with the pain. The hurt was too deep, and it was very hard to have "joy" for someone else who was having a precious little girl.

Again, it wasn't their fault. It was just my grief, and it controlled me for a long time. I feel like I have really accomplished something after enduring the baby shower without sadness or tears. I look back and remember when my friend at school (who lost her baby boy to a heart defect 27 years ago) told me that some day I would be able to to endure the hurt, that it wouldn't be so gut-wrenching, and I would smile again. Back then, I thought it was absolutely impossible. Now, I know she was right. And even more than that, yesterday was just one sign that God truly carries us through our trials, our burdens, our sadness and despair. He pulls us through, and if we stick it out, he allows us to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I know I will have many many many more sad moments when I grieve my London. But...I also know that for the most part, "Weeping has turned to Joy", and for that, I am thankful!!!