Giving credit where it is due!

So yesterday was a normal day.

I usually go to church about an hour early on Wednesday nights to fulfill a commitment to the nursery. Well let me back up a minute so you get a grasp on the full miracle!

Some people live paycheck to paycheck. For now, my family would most likely be listed in that category of people. So on Tuesday we were counting change to make sure there was gas for my husband to go to work. As you can imagine there is only so much change just laying around the house (lol). So when Wednesday came, I was almost sure we had gathered every penny. However, when I went back to my purse there was 38 more cents. (I am almost definite I had gotten every penny out the day before.)

Now I'm not telling this story for sympathy. AT ALL!! But I have to tell it so everybody know's that my Jesus is alive and he does truly meet all our needs. He gets all the glory here!!

So once we gathered every penny we could find we counted it and we had reached a whopping $1.35. In that amount there was 5 dimes and the rest were, you guessed it, pennies.

I was on the phone a little earlier that day with a teenager who likes to ride with my family to church. I had to make a decision. I had enough gas to get to church and back. That was it! So I called her and told her to see if she could ride with another family. That I was sorry, but if I came and picked her up we all would be walking. She would have to carry my oldest and I would be carrying the baby.

Since that wasn't very appealing, she said she was call someone else. We hung up and I got my kids packed in the car with the $1.35 and my husbands work phone, just in case.

I went to the closest gas station. Locked all my doors, (my children were in the car) and walked the 10 feet to the door to go in.

I walked in, keeping an ever constant eye on my kids, and told the teller, "First of all I don't hate you." I had said this as I was dumping the mountain of change in his hand.

He told me it was fine. I explained to him that I kept looking out the door because my kids were in the car and I didn't like leaving them (although they were 10 feet away, with all the doors locked, and I live in a pretty small town)

The conversation lasted all of 2 minutes and I went back outside to the pumps.

I was hanging the pump back up when the teller came over to where I was and told me, "Pump some more."

Ummmm. ok. So once the moment of shock wore off enough for me to gather myself I pumped $2.00. Very confused I went back in the store with a smile and asked, "Exactly, .... how much ..... more?"

He told me $5.00. So I went back outside pumped the other $3.00 and headed back in to thank the guy. I was so excited to watch God move! When I got back in the car I called my husband and told him the story! We both were so excited. God provided just enough to meet our need, because after all, at our meals we pray, give us Lord our DAILY bread.

Remember the teenager? I now had enough gas to pick her up, share this story with her, and get to church on time for the kids. You CAN NOT tell me God does not meet our needs. And you CAN NOT tell me he doesn't give us the pure desires of our heart.

You can't have that many coincidences at one time. That's Jesus my friend. Working right here in this small town. In every day life.

Homecoming!!!!!

This is an amazing video! Cudos to Rebecca Harris for catching such a precious time on tape!! Here, see for yourself. The homecoming of Joseph and Samuel Rhodes!!!



Praise God!! There free at last!! With God ALL THINGS are possible!!! Welcome home boys :)

The Nelson's

Man this has never happened! Two blog posts in one day. I'm on a roll by-Georgie :) Anyway, I come to you guys tonight with a hopeful heart.

In my last post I shared with you guys about how I would tell you more about my cousins. So sooner than I thought, here's that promise kept.

I have a cousin. Her name is Angela. She has a husband, Chris, and three boys. Just for the sake of not writing a book (because believe me I could) I'll try to seriously condense this story. My cousins have made a drastic impact on my life from the time I was small child. I have so many memories that I could talk about for days.

Chris was my youth pastor for several years and that in itself should give you an idea how big of a part this family plays in my life. Angela was someone through all those crazy teenage years I could always call and get Godly, sound advice from. I remember staying over their house so many late nights as a college kid doing homework because my home computer didn't have the software I needed.

So here's the thing. This couple, my family, are in a bit of a relocation. They are missionaries to Venezuela! And on June 12 they are looking forward to heading back to their second home. All 5 of those crazy kids :)

Now I would like for all of my blog readers and followers to keep this in the very front of your minds when reading anything I post. I'm getting to the part of this post where I'm gonna discuss giving. Now I want all of you to know up front that I do not try to guilt anyone into giving anything. I do however, offer an opportunity to be a part of a move of God. Just for the record.

Ok. Now back to my story. Chris and Angela are set to leave on June 12. Now here's something I noticed that grabbed my attention. When I went to the link for the Assembly's of God World Missions Page I noticed a small disclaimer at the bottom of that page. To paraphrase, it went something like this, if they don't have the money they need raised by the time there set to leave, THEY DON'T LEAVE. 

Now I have a BIG GOD who has a BIG HEART!!! And I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are leaving on June 12th. ( Pretty sure that was the day, but don't hate me if I got it wrong) So my point is this. As of Angela's last post they were about $300 short of their monthly pledges needed to leave. Again I have no doubt God will meet this need, but I would like to extend the offer to you to come be a part of this party. Whether it's $5 a month or $500. No amount is too small. She said so herself.

Forgive me for being lengthy this time, but here's your invitation. What will you do with it?

To be a part of the Nelson's family adventures in Venezuela you can click the link above, go to this website (www.worldmissions.ag.org/search.cfm?Display=Yes&churchdetail=AGFM3965), or follow her blog at http://nelsonmissions.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-will-you-be-one.html?showComment=1338486060588#c3423721526817054777

Thanks for listening,
Sabrina

You've gotta read this one!!

Anyone who has read my blog even once, knows I have a place in my heart for orphans. There are few things that make me smile bigger than when a child becomes an "orphan no more"! So it stands to reason when one story comes to a close, that another should begin.

Mandy and Marty are bringing home Joseph and Samuel this weekend!!! Remember these guys?

Well after this weekend these two little guys get to be with the family God intended them to have! I have been beyond blessed to watch every step of this adoption process unfold. And this weekend begins the best part  of all!!! These guys are coming home! Praise God!!!

Now check this out! Today I was blog visiting, and came across my cousin's blog.

 (More about them very soon!!! But till then check them out here http://nelsonmissions.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-will-you-be-one.html?showComment=1338486060588#c3423721526817054777)

Well in this particular post there was a video. Of this family. And it made me cry. In a good way. Well here, just watch you'll see.

Such an amazing story. Did you cry too? I think it's truly remarkable how my Jesus really does make all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose!! So as one story, of a family who this weekend will have their boys home, ends; another will begin. Follow me on the Boutin family journey and together let's help bring Aaron home too. To lend a hand financially visit www.give1save1.com

Little Miss Tatiana has a home!!!!!

You are an orphan no more little love!! My heart leaps for joy for you. I wish you the best my dear. My prayer for you is that you grow strong in the Lord and learn to love and be loved. I will always remember you my dear Tatiana. I knew your Mommy would come soon. I love you sweet girl.

-Sabrina

Well here it is. As I said in my last post I have had something on my heart lately and today I plan to tell you what it is. 

One year ago today I started this blog. It was a year ago today that I started to feel a strong burden for the orphan. All orphans need forever families; don't get me wrong, but sometimes there's this one. You know, the one that can play your heart strings like a fiddle. The one that stands out for whatever reason. Well if you have read any of my blog posts you may already know who it is I'm talking about. My little love has already been introduced once before on here but here she is again. Little Miss Nastya.

This little love has spina bifida and hydrocephalus. This is a condition she was born with. I know from experience that this disability, although life altering, is just that. Altering. This condition does not mean she is worthless! It does NOT mean she deserves to spend the rest of her life in a mental institution somewhere all alone and forgotten about! It just means she is different. And let me be the first to tell you, different can teach you things you may never know about otherwise.

Now if you don't mind, I am going to get really honest with you. Ready? I started this blog one year ago today. This is when I started advocating for Nastya. Now here's the honest, raw, truth. It's been a year; and although it has been a wonderful one, full of orphans finding forever families, adoptions being fully funded, and little loves coming home for the first time, my little Nastya is still out there. Still waiting. Alone. She has no family to call her own. No Mommy is there to tell her she was created by a king who loves her beyond compare. She has no daddy to whisper in her ear and tell her about how, better than the fairy tales, she's a real princess. She has no one.

I've been on the fence here for a year now hoping to help find Nastya's family. I've donated every now and then to her grant thinking that would help. But now I'm ready to jump in. I'm ready to see this little girl go home.

As of right now I don't know what that means. I don't where this journey will take me, but I'm ready.

Sometimes I just need to hear from God. And this is why you haven't heard from me in a bit. Sometimes I just need my Jesus to whisper in my ear everything is gonna be ok. Sometimes things work out the way I think they should, and sometimes they don't. But in the midst of it all God is still God, and I am not. His ways will, always and forever, be higher than mine, just as his thoughts are higher than mine. I have had something on my heart for a while now that has burdened my spirit. But now is not the time to go there. In the mean time there are a few things I want to share with you. Recently there have been some things occur that have once again made me realize that I have a BIG GOD! That He is my provider and He is all I need. I love my Jesus.

Not only is the Rhodes family fully funded so they can go get there boys!!!

But my little Patti now has a forever family!

Little Bernadette has a family of her own now too! (This family is still in need of some financial support so feel free to head on over to Reece's Rainbow and show some love)

The little loves (that I blog so often about) have grants that have grown!! Leah and Tatiana you girls hang in there my prayer is that it won't be long now and your Mommy's (or Mommy) will come for you!!













Sometimes I just need some encouragement and the above stories have provided that for me. Thank you Lord Jesus for the extra reasons to praise you, for you alone are God and I will forever be grateful.