Original Story by: Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."
"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can't make a difference!"
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…"
I made a difference for that one."
Love this story! So many of us get overwhelmed with the numbers, the number of orphans, and we think we can't make a difference. You can make a difference, for that one orphan!! I hope this little story encourages you as much as it did me, we can make a difference, don't let the numbers scare you, if you rescue one orphan, the number would go from 147,000,000 to 146,999,999! Imagine if we all rescued just one orphan!!
Can't imagine my family without the children we adopted! Boy, has God blessed our lives with the "orphans" we rescued!!
James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Well, here we are again, at our second home....Scottish Rite. Emmy is sick AGAIN!! Actually, she isn't sick, she is just running temps of 105 degrees. She has no symptoms, not a one. We have no idea what is going on, but our team of doctors is determined to figure it out. Praise the Lord for that!! We have been here everyday since Tuesday, and admitted on Thursday. She has consistently run fever since Monday afternoon, as the week has progressed her food and liquid intake has slowed and her energy levels have dropped. She is worn out!! Not that I can blame her! Can you? She has been poked in literally every vein in her hands, arms, feet and legs. She has been x-rayed, CT scanned, MRI'd, etc....She is flat tired of this. Me too!! We are ready for answers, unfortunately the current bout of tests they are running are tests that take a while to come back, so we wait. UGH, I hate to wait. 
Okay, here comes another "Single Dad Ranting" post. You may laugh, but hopefully only because you see the idiocy and carelessness of some people, bless their hearts. Please, though, this is something that I'm very serious about and I hope you'll listen in.
What do you notice about this photo?
I know for Emory and I there were times throughout each of our 4 adoptions, that we truly questioned whether or not we could handle anymore. Adoption is not easy. It is an emotional journey. There is heartache, there is hurt, frustration and so much more.....but, the JOY at the end of the road is so much greater than the heartache. Ask any person that has adopted, even the person that got their baby on the first birth mom presentation, ask them if they endured heartache or frustration. They did. Of course, there are varying degrees, and it all depends on how long you have been on the journey and the circumstances you have walked through, but as adoptive parents, we have all suffered an emotional roller coaster.
The Lord never promised an easy path. Instead, He promised that He would be with us and that it would all be worth it in the end.
We were commanded to take care of the orphans in James 1:27, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." He commanded us to take care of the widows and the orphans, He didn't say take care of them and I will make it easy, or that we would understand each path that He would take us down, He just said to do it.
I love my job as an adoption consultant. I love it! It brings me such joy to watch the Lord build families through adoption, it brings a smile to my face to see these orphans rescued, to see Christian families being obedient. I love it! However, it doesn't come without a price either....luckily, there are many more happy days, than sad ones....but, the sad ones are hard. My clients are my friends, they are brothers and sisters in Christ, I love each of them dearly and it is difficult to watch them go through the journey that is adoption. I know in the end, they will have a baby, I know that once they hold their baby, it will have all been worth it, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch them hurting NOW.
The Lord tells us in Galatians 6:2, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." We have to support each other through the adoption journey, we have to pray for one another, really lift each other up to the Lord.
We have to believe Jeremiah 29:11 each step of the way, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
We have to trust that if the Lord commanded us to do something, that He will be with us every step of the way, we have to believe Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
No, the adoption journey is not an easy one. It is not easy to watch your friends and family go through the heartache, frustration and disappointments that they will most likely encounter. However, I know for each one of my clients that has experienced heartache along the way, knows that the Lord is directing their steps, knows they were commanded to take this journey, and knows that they cannot turn back, although sometimes that is all we want to do.
We know that Proverbs 24:12 says, "Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."
I say all this to say, I know the road to your child is not an easy one, but you can rest assured that I am on my knees daily for each of my clients, my friends, lifting you up to the One that commanded you to rescue the orphans, and to the One that directs your steps! Praise the Lord that we don't have to walk the adoption road alone, Praise the Lord that He is there every step of the way!
He is good!!!
Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...to Him be the glory." Eph. 3:20
AUBURN, Alabama – Auburn University today confirmed that an herbicide commonly used to kill trees was deliberately applied in lethal amounts to the soil around the Toomer’s Corner live oaks on campus, and there is little chance to save the trees.
The trees are the traditional gathering place following a major sports victory. Auburn Tigers fans festoon the trees with toilet paper as a jubilant sign of Auburn pride. Most recently, of course,it was the scene of celebration for Auburn's victory over the Oregon Ducks in the BCS National Championship game on Jan. 10.
The city of Auburn Police Division is investigating the situation, and the application of this herbicide, known as Spike 80DF, or tebuthiuron, is also governed by state agricultural laws and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The university does not use Spike herbicide, officials said. Officials did say there is no reason to suspect any human danger from the herbicide, which manufacturer Dow Chemical says should be applied with proper clothing protection; a typical use of the herbicide is to kill trees along fence lines.
The university learned that a caller to The Paul Finebaum Show, a nationally syndicated radio show based in Birmingham, on Jan. 27, claimed he had applied the herbicide. As a precaution, soil samples were taken the next day and sent to the Alabama State Pesticide Residue Laboratory on campus for analysis. Due to a small fire that occurred in the Alabama lab in December, the tests were sent to the lab at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., to expedite results.
“We are assessing the extent of the damage and proceeding as if we have a chance to save the trees,” said Gary Keever, an Auburn University professor of horticulture and a member of Auburn’s Tree Preservation Committee. “We are also focused on protecting the other trees and shrubs in Samford Park. At this level the impact could be much greater than just the oaks on the corner, as Spike moves through the soil to a wide area.”Officials said in a news release that the lowest amount of the poison detected was 0.78 parts per million, described by horticulture experts as a “very lethal dose.” The highest amount detected was 51 parts per million, or 65 times the lowest dose. Experts believe a normal application by itself would have been enough to kill the trees, which are estimated to be more than 130 years old.
Additional tests are being completed to determine the movement and extent of the area affected, Keever said.
The removal process involves digging trenches and applying activated charcoal to absorb the herbicide from the soil and block its progress. A representative from Dow Chemical, which manufactures the herbicide, is advising the university on removal procedures, and expert horticulturalists are also being consulted.
“We will take every step we can to save the Toomer’s oaks, which have been the home of countless celebrations and a symbol of the Auburn spirit for generations of Auburn students, fans, alumni and the community,” said University President Jay Gogue.
Gogue asked members of the Auburn Family to “continue to be ‘All In’ in upholding its reputation for class” and not allow anger to be expressed inappropriately or undeservedly.
“It is understandable to feel outrage in reaction to a malicious act of vandalism,” Gogue said. “However, we should live up to the example we set in becoming national champions and the beliefs expressed in our Auburn Creed. Individuals act alone, not on behalf of anyone or any place, and all universities are vulnerable to and condemn such reprehensible acts.”
Yesterday, was Emmy's MRI!! I knew what they were looking for and I knew if it came back abnormal that could be bad, really bad. I was so worried. Her symptoms of ataxia suggested there was a lot of good reasons to perform the MRI, and that it also may come back with abnormal findings. I was worried. So, in order to kill time, approximately 30-45 minutes I decided to go buy her a new stuffed animal from the gift shop. I never actually made it there to make a purchase. While passing through the lobby, I ran into a friend from church, one of the pastors. He was coming to visit Emmy and one other child. He and I chatted for a second, and then I walked him to the other patients room, it happened to be 10 doors down from Emmy's room. We are on Aflac, this floor is strictly for children with cancer and/or blood disorders. This is a scary floor, a lot of these children have cancer and are very, very sick. Since we have been here, 2 children have been moved to PICU, with the nurses fearing that they would not return. So, as I walked my friend to this room, I thought about the fact that this child probably has cancer. I had not intended to go in with him, but as we approached his room, he suggested that I come in and meet the family and pray with them. So, in I went!
"D" is a 16 year old boy with lymphoma. He was diagnosed in July, and has only been home for a total of 6 weeks since his diagnosis. "D" has been through a lot in the past 7 months. He has had 2 very short periods where they thought he was cancer free. He has had all the radiation that he can have. They have done all that they can do. There is nothing else that a traditional medical program can offer. They are now looking for radical alternative treatment programs, they are trying to buy their son time. This is what I walked into while waiting on my child's MRI!
We prayed with this family and then we left. I walked my friend back into the lobby, and then I headed back to wait on Emmy. I thanked the Lord for perspective in that moment. I thanked Him for Emmy, and that although she is sick a lot, she is not literally fighting for her life. I thanked Him for this new perspective.
2 hours later, I was told that Emmy's MRI was abnormal, I was told that a neurologist would be coming to evaluate Emmy and to tell me what the findings were. I was immediately panicked. Anytime, your specialist has to call another specialist, it should be a warning that the situation is less than desirable.
About an hour or so after that (it felt like a lifetime), the neurologist came in and examined Emmy. She asked questions for about 15 minutes and examined her all before ever telling me what the heck was going on. I was going crazy!
Finally, she asked me the same question 2-3 times, and I repeated the same answer that I had the last 2-3 times, and said I may be getting ahead of myself, but what is on the MRI that you would feel it necessary to ask me that question over and over again!
She then realized that she was the first person to come in, and that nobody had explained the results to me. She just figured that Emmy's hem/onc team had discussed it with me already. SO, she immediately jumps into the discussion of Emmy's MRI. She used big medical words and honestly, I didn't understand a lot of what she was telling me, I heard the words, but couldn't really understand what they meant for a diagnosis. I didn't like the words that I recognized at all! They were kind of scary words.
She then brought in a computer and showed me a normal brain scan, and then showed me Emmy's brain scan. She pointed out all of the abnormalities, and proceeded to tell me that she may have a secondary disease, but they aren't sure what.....which means more testing.
So, she named a few diseases and they are scary. I am praying that they are wrong, I am praying that the findings don't mean anything, although I have been told by several doctors that they most likely mean something! Possibly a very scary something.
24 hours has passed since I met with the neurologist...I have googled some of these diseases, I have read about their complications and treatments, and I have scared myself to death. So, I am choosing to do no more googling until we have a diagnosis. However, as I read through some of these websites, I was reminded of "D". I was reminded that my child acts and seems fine. She is developmentally on target, she is smart and she looks fine...My child is not laying in bed with days or weeks left. We have been here 1 week, not 7 months. Other than the fact that I know that all of our days are numbered, I am not looking for alternate methods to prolong my childs life by a few weeks. Emmy is a happy little girl. It is all about perspective. I believe the Lord was preparing me for the news of an abnormal MRI, I believe He wanted me to have perspective when I googled these scary names. I believe HE wanted me to remember that HE is in control.
NOTHING SURPRISES HIM. HE KNEW ALL OF THIS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. PRAISE THE LORD THAT HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY. TODAY AND TOMORROW.
Trusting in Him. Pray for Emmy. Pray for Emory and I. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and nurses. Pray that these tests will come back quickly and provide answers. Pray that they would determine the cause of the abnormal findings quickly! Pray that I will keep perspective throughout this journey.....
....We don't know a lot yet, so we will let everyone know the findings when we have more information! The last thing I need is other people googling the findings and telling me what they think it could mean, I have already done that myself! HA!! Right now we just want your prayers! Thanks!..........
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