Thanksgiving 2014

Hey everyone! I thought I would finally post some of our Thanksgiving pics. :) We spent the day with my sister, Brandi and her family. It was a lot of fun!
Here are the pics! Enjoy. :)
The delicious blackberry pie and an equally delicious "mini" pumpkin pie we sampled the day before Thanksgiving.
Preparing for the feast!


The table for the younger kids.
The big table.
Natalie, Jack Attack, and me, just hanging out, waiting...
My youngest brother, Levi, and my oldest nephew, Kyran. Best buddies and partners in crime!
Little Cooper was getting hungry! (Isn't he adorable!)
Here are all the younger ones, served and ready to dig in!
Filling up our plates! It was worth the wait. :)





Since it was Brandi's birthday, she had a few gifts to unwrap. Here she is with her new camouflage apron she picked out.
Opening another gift.



After that, it was time for some pie! What kind is your favorite? I'm not sure, personally, but I do love apple pie!
Alahna, Jackson, Hailee, and Cooper enjoying the pie!
Tim and Noah getting some pie.
 
After dessert and some time spent in the living room talking and watching Tim Hawkins videos on youtube, Mom, Brandi, Natalie, and I decided to have a rousing game of clue! (Yes, the silly and evil expressions were done on purpose. )


Hmm...who should I accuse?

 It was a very fun evening and we all went home, tired but happy, watched some I Love Lucy, and went to bed!
And when we woke up the next morning, we were all ready and excited for our next adventure; getting our tree and decorating! Let the holiday season begin. :)



Tim decorating the tree.

One Gift Can Touch Thousands



Imagine that your children are hungry, but you have no food to give them. The filth and emptiness of their small bodies runs deeper than surface level—they have no hope for this life or the next. Your poverty weighs heavily on your shoulders, and aches deep in your soul. Will tomorrow hold anything beyond hunger and filth and emptiness?

We have to imagine these things, but many families live through this kind of poverty every day.

Imagine if a local pastor was able to give this same family a pair of chickens in the name of Christ. They represent more than just a simple gift – the chickens will provide nourishment and income for the family, and give them hope of a different future! And it’s all because of someone named Jesus.



Through GFA’s Christmas Gift Catalog, over 100,000 families in South Asia have been blessed with life-changing gifts like chickens, goats, and sewing machines. These gifts meet tangible needs and lift families out of poverty. Many people have embraced the love of Christ as a result, because of His love extended through people like you! Browse the catalog online here: www.gfa.org/gift, or order a physical copy here: www.gfa.org/gift/order.

One Rickshaw Changed Many Lives-and so can you!
 In 2008, a simple rickshaw was ordered from Gospel for Asia’s Christmas Gift Catalog in hopes of displaying God’s love and providing much-needed income. But in the six years since, thousands have heard the Good News through that one gift! Read the story here: http://www.gfa.org/news/articles/rickshaw-rides-that-changed-lives/

If you would like to display Gospel for Asia's Christmas catalog on your blog, you can get a link for the code here.

Lastly, I would highly recommend the free book No Longer a Slumdog by K.P. Yohannan which I believe you can order for free. If you have heard of Francis Chan, you may like to know that he wrote the forward for this book.


This is my first time actually doing a Blog for Asia post, so I hope it actually made sense! Have a wonderful afternoon, everyone!
-Christine

 

What I've Been Up Too...

 
Some pics from November...
Our friends boys came to stay with us for two days. We had so much fun!



Goofy boys! The two on the left and right are our visitors, and the middle one is my youngest brother, Levi.

Last week, we had a shopping event at our home. There were several different vendors and I did a booth for my babysitting services. It was a lot of fun!

My booth!

 
Today, my sister Brandi and her five kids came over and we did some Thanksgiving baking together. It was a lot of fun!
I tried to focus on school, but it was awfully hard with such cuties around....

 
 
Little Cooper (19 months) said "Auntie Chrissie" for the first time today! I was helping my niece with something and Brandi told her to say thank you to Auntie Chrissie. And then Cooper pipes up- "Thank you, Auntie Chrissie!" I have never felt so happy before. ;)
 
 
The boys. Left to right: Jackson (3), Kyran (8), and Cooper, (19 months).

and the girls...


Alahna (6)


Hailee (5)

And I haven't even mentioned Heidi's kids! :)

Sometimes things get crazy around here when they come for a visit!;)



Well, that's it for now! What about all of you? What have you been up too? Are you getting excited about Thanksgiving yet? (I know, what kind of a question is that!)


Thanks for reading-or, I guess more looking at all the pics. :P
Christine

MMC (11/17/14)

 

The fire crackled. It was the only source of light and sound for miles and miles of dark forest.  I had achieved my purpose. My family was safe-my mother and my younger brother were out of harm’s way. I should have been glad for that bit of comfort, and I suppose I was, in a way. But saving them had been a great sacrifice. My whole life was gone in an instant, devoured by fire like the one I stared at now. The home where I spent my childhood had been lost to me. The one by the lake with the swing I used to push my little brother, Tommy, on. Where other campfires had been held, these ones lit in the company of dear friends and family. Escaping and saving my family had been my only goal for the last month. And finally, that dream had been accomplished. Now, my brother had a chance at a good life, with friends, education, and maybe one day a wife and children of his own. But I had lost the only things that truly mattered to me. My family.

A year ago, when this all began, it had been what I worked for, what I dreamed of. However, the more the pieces began to fit together, the more terrified I became.

Finally, what I had always wanted was going to happen. But would it be the fulfillment of my dream…or the beginning of a nightmare?

The latter had proven to be true. I was now entangled in a living prison of my own making, bound by shackles I could not break. Shackles which prevented me from ever having any chance at happiness.

But at least I had saved them.

--
285 words. I used all three of the word prompts and the phrase prompt.

Short Description

Hello! I had to write a short description for school, so I decided I may as well post it here. Hope you enjoy it. :)


She walked quickly through the store. Her dark hair was swept back from her face, and her crystal blue eyes took everything in at once. Even her steps were business like, calculated. The cart she pushed seem to fly through the store…yet, the woman did not run. Her steps were long strides, as she was very tall. The rush-hour atmosphere of Black Friday did not seem to transmit itself to her. She calmly made her way down each aisle, stopping briefly to pull what she needed from the shelves. Besides, why would she need to hurry too quickly? There was something about her that caused people to simply move out of her way. It did not take her long to accomplish her mission at this store. She was soon heading through the door.

Thus far, however, there is something I have overlooked in my description of this woman; the child she pushed in the cart. As they entered into the harsh wind, the woman allowed a smile to creep over her face. “You were such a good boy, Jeremy. Thank you!”

The little boy, of perhaps two, grinned. “Yay! Did you get Daddy’s present?” he asked in a babyish lisp.

“Yes, Dear, I did. I think he will love it.”

Classics List...So Far!

Here are the classics I have come up with for my list so far. I still need to come up with about 20 more, though, so suggestions are still appreciated!


By Charles Dickens

David Copperfield

A Tale of Two Cities

Nicolas Nickleby

Great Expectations

Bleak House

Oliver Twist

Our Mutual Friend

By Lloyd C. Douglas

Old Robe

By  Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

By Jane Austen

Mansfield Park

Northanger Abbey

Persuasion

By Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre

By Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights

James Fenimore Cooper

Last of the Mohicans

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlett Letter

By Mark Twaine

The Prince and the Pauper

By Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time

By James Carman

The Hidden Hand

By Lucy Maud Montgomery

The Blue Castle

Magic for Marigold

The Golden Road

By Jules Verne

The Mysterious Island

From the Earth to the Moon


Titus: Comrade of the Cross

By Elizabeth Gaskell

North and South

Cranford

By H.G. Wells

The Time Machine

By Johann David Wyss

Swiss Family Robinson

By Lew Wallace

Ben Hur
 

Classics!


Hey everyone! I am considering joining the The Classics Club but I will first need to come up with a list of 50 classics I have not read. Do you have an recommendations?
I have already read:
Silas Marner
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit
The Chronicles of Narnia
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Over half of Emma by Jane Austen
A Christmas Carol

I also definitely plan to read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.:)

I think there are more that aren't coming to my mind at this moment, but that's my list. :)
So, what classics should I try? What did you enjoy? Also, if there's a classic you want to read but aren't sure if you'll enjoy it, feel free to mention it too and I will give it a try. Every time I read one, I have to post a review on it so maybe you will be able to find out if you would like it!

 


 

What Would You Like to See?

Hi everyone! I hope you are all well.:)

So I have been thinking about getting some type of weekly schedule for posting. Example, (this was not my idea, but I like it) having a "Fandom Friday", etc. What would you like to see me post on a regular basis? I could do a weekly recap or a guest post... I will also probably be doing the Monday's Minute Challenge on a regular basis. Please comment your thoughts!:)

Also, my awesome blog design was done by Brittney Johnson at Creating a Masterpiece so please go check her out! It's all free and she also designs book covers which I think is pretty awesome. :)

 




Forgiven






The wailing winds of the dark forest fueled his inner turmoil. How could he have done this to those who had only ever loved him? Why hadn’t he trusted the man and woman who had taken him in when no one else would? He had taken the word of a woman over theirs. Simply because she was pretty. She had left him, and even then he had not gone back. He was too ashamed. And now…now it was too late. An hour ago the messenger had arrived, breathlessly banging on the door.

Your mother is dying, he said. You must go to her.

The horse seemed to be flying, it so rarely touched the ground. But it was not fast enough for the anxious man who sat upon it.

“Please, God, don’t let it be too late. Forgive me, Mama. I love you.

 

One small, white hand he held in his own. On the other side of the bed his father held the other. Though his mother’s breath was labored, she appeared peaceful.

“I’m so sorry, Papa, Mama,” he was crying. “I should never have left you. You were right, Alice never loved me. I know because…you do. That’s real love. And I found a woman who truly cares for me too. Oh, Mama!”

“It’s alright, Robbie,” whispered the woman in the bed. “You were forgiven long ago, when we first read the note. You are our son, and no matter what you do, that won’t change.”

He squeezed her hand tighter as the burden of guilt rolled away. “I know.”
 
~
 

This is 261 words and I used the word and dialogue prompts. I know it's not great, but it's practice and I'll get better. I have not been good about writing lately, so this is very helpful!:)

Blogs You Should Follow

Here's a list of my favorite blogs. :)

 
This blog is run by the same girl who owns the above blog (Reflections of the Heart). Everlasting Hope is connected to Hope Everlasting Enterprises, a ministry which sells handmade hats and a few other things to raise money for orphan ministry.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Concerning Fandoms

My sister Natalie and I are both authors on this fun blog created by our friend, Tabby!:)


Kwant Clan Crafts

This site was created in loving memory of Hannah Grace Kwant (12/07/10-2/08/11), who lived 64 days with full Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome. Her sisters sewed her skirts and more because she was so tiny she couldn't fit in many store bought clothes. My friend Cassie, Hannah's sister, does a beautiful job on the things she sells in Hannah's memory! You can see pictures of some of the things I and others have bought from her on her Happy Customers page.



Exploring Classic British Literature

 
 There you go! I know I'm missing blogs, but it's hard to remember everyone's! If I follow your blog and forgot to put it on here, please comment my mistake. :) Thanks for reading!

Intro & Kang's Heart of Hope

Hello everyone! I know you're probably all rolling your eyes at me-I mean, this is probably my fourth or fifth attempt at blogging. But I'm going to do it this time!
Something I intend to do different this time is to NOT block myself in. What I mean by this is, in the past, I have always started a blog that was ONLY about writing and posting my stories, or one that was only meant to be a journal. This time, I'm going to post whatever's on my mind, and that may be a story. But it may also be-
Things I'm learning in my walk with the Lord
Family Life
Future Plans
Orphan Care
Recipes
Friend's Blogs or Good sites
Prayer Requests
and more!
So I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to follow. (There's two different options for doing this on the sidebar.) Also, if you are not on google+ you will not be able to comment, but hopefully you are on Facebook where I will share my posts so you can comment there. :)

I hope to discover an orphaned child to advocate for soon, but I would like to finish off this post by sharing Kang's Heart of Hope.
Here is an excerpt from a post about sweet Kang:
Kang is almost three. His lips are blue, his fingertips are blue, he is weak and he is small. He has little strength to do anything. Kang has a very complicated heart defect. I can only image that his parents took him to many doctors and most of them probably said that there was nothing that they could do – only big hospitals in the city have the expertise to do a surgery that would repair Kang’s heart. Maybe they took him to one of the bigger hospitals in the city? Maybe the hospital gave them an estimation of what the surgery would cost. They must have cried-ugly that night as they watched their little boy sleep peacefully without a clue that his parents were about to make a decision that would change his life and his story forever.
Kang_1

 Kang was abandoned just a few months ago. He is almost three, y’all, almost three. Think about your own two year-olds. Are they aware that they have a mommy and a daddy? Do they understand that you are there to take care of them and meet their needs? They do! And so imagine what Kang’s little heart must have done when he woke up and found himself away from the family he had known and surrounded by the chaos that is a toddler room in an orphanage. Busy nannies scrambling to meet the needs of dozens of children… crying children who just want to be held… fighting children who have learned how to get their own way… quiet children who know that no one will come.And so Kang’s broken heart that couldn’t provide his body with the oxygen it needed, broke again.We worked with the orphanage and they were able to get him taken in to the local hospital for some tests. The doctor said that surgery was necessary, but impossible. We took the results to some of the excellent cardiology hospitals in Beijing, and the surgeons said that surgery could be done. They suggested that they could repair his heart with one major operation, and that it would cost $20,000.Taking a deep breath we stepped back… wow. That’s a lot of money. We looked at some other hospitals and applied for a government grant. The government rejected Kang’s application, saying that it was too late, he should have had surgery years ago and that there was no hope.I don’t know about you, but the thing that gets me riled up the most is when somebody says that there is no hope. I think that the hairs on the back of my neck visibly stand on end. And so when the government rejected Kang’s application and refused to fund his surgery because they said he, “has no hope,” I decided that we have to do something.Yes, it’s true, Kang’s surgery is complex and there is a chance that he will not survive. But do we have the right to make this decision? Do we have the right to choose not to give Kang his only hope of survival? Where do we place our trust? Kang’s surgery will cost between $16,000 and $20,000 USD. This is a lot of money, but not if we stand together, a little here and a little there. It will add up. Are you willing to take the risk, to give Kang hope? His life is worth it.

Please pray for sweet Kang! And if you feel called to help monetarily, you can donate here.

 
-Christine