Hope is Fading

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Reality and Our Faith

Please read this powerful piece by Heather Hendrick. It is so touching, and so moving, and so true.

Though I have not seen the suffering in Haiti, the scenes that Heather describes rush me straight back to Ethiopia. Back to the crowded, muddy streets where I saw and touched the filthy, precious street children dressed in rags, begging for food. It was a life-changing experience. How absolutely heartbreaking to come home to our comfortable life and leave so many of God's little ones hurting and hopeless!

I'm still struggling to figure out what to do with this reality, so sharp and fresh and raw, even now. Where do I put those images in my mind? Just exactly how can God use me?

Reality is a weighty thing.

Pecan Bluff Dinner Bell

I'm so proud of twelve-year-old R! As part of her 4H Foods and Nutrition project this year she is blogging about her cooking adventures at www.pecanbluffdinnerbell.blogspot.com

Go check it out, and encourage her with a comment!

Summer Wrap Up

Hang on to your hats!
Since I got so far behind,
I'm going to do one mega-post
 to wrap up the final fun of Summer 2010.
 We had a blast!

Christian Homes of Abilene Family Picnic

Train rides, a zoo trip, and a giant water slide were so much fun. 

We also enjoyed precious time with loved ones,

 including R's very special Foster Mother. 

What a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, HW!

I got most of HW's birthday photos up in a previous post,

 but Big Sis also made a cool beach cake for our celebration here at home.

 And we enjoyed some time at a hotel near Granny and Grandpa's house. 

 

And more good times~

Boys, gardens, goats, and mud!

These boys know how to play hard! 

They had a blast together,

 and we all loved having Cousin J here for a visit. 

HA, HW, DaddyDon, and Cousin J in front

Whew. We're back.

Well, our computer died and it's just now back up and running. Boy, am I behind on posting pictures and updates of all the fun here at Pecan Bluff!

I'll be back soon to recap our summer and welcome this lovely autumn.

Making Myself Get Real. Again.

I just cleaned the bathroom. Again. For the gazillionth time, I cleaned it. And while I cleaned I had a little pity party. Poor me, on my knees on this dirty floor, scrubbing away like Cinderella. 

Ahem, excuse me? To clean my bathroom I simply walk through my air conditioned house, get the cleaning supplies, then wipe all those smooth surfaces until they sparkle. I can then throw the dirty rags into my washing machine and let them clean themselves while I sip an iced tea in comfort (well actually, I watched the kids play monopoly, but the point is that I could have sipped an iced tea in comfort. I have both iced tea, and I have comfort!)

My little task did not involve a long walk through dangerous countryside to haul dirty water from a river. There was no standing outside over a fire, stirring a boiling pot of water to clean the rags when I was done. In fact, my bathroom flushes and the water runs from the tap. It smells nice, and it doesn't harbor germs that threaten the health of my family. In fact, it's a really pleasant place, compared to some of the "bathrooms" I've visited in developing countries. The very least I can do is wipe it down without complaining in my head.

So, I'm getting real. And now I'm off to clean the other bathroom with a smile on my face.

Did I Say That?

Yesterday as the kids paddled around the pool I heard myself say to HA, "Don't bite your brother on the bottom!"
He replied, "But, he does it to me all the time."
Clearly, I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on these two.