On a mission from God and I'm up in alms!

(See what I did there?)

Performance art is overrated.

Hi all, how have you been doing?  I hope well.  I have been, um, busy!  Let's see, I've been--

1. trying to get a second (fully written) book published, called The Gift of Birth
2. teaching a lot of general education theology in a country where we lost 7.5 million believers since 2012
3. writing an academic article on reader-response criticism, genre, and the Theology of the Body (trust me, its better than it sounds)
4. trying to start a second academic article on a Theology of Disability.  The non-academic version is getting published in a couple of weeks
5. lassoing my five kids into school, back home, to various events
6. negotiating Alex's great big surgery to alleviate his CP spasticity this coming May
7. getting named chair of my department at work, because I guess I looked bored (all the responsibility and none of the power)
8. Pondering my friend Rob Kroese's brilliant statement: "If Pi Day, the Ides of March and St. Patrick's Day could get their act together, they could combine into one awesome celebration of beer, pie, snakes and stabbing."  We so missed an opportunity here.

Oh, and this thing: my husband has been starting a small press devoted to making it easier and more practical for families to pass on the faith!

(Everyone who has started a small business, we are feeling each other's joys and pains right now!)

Here's the thing. We Catholics have a problem, a big problem. Parents are not teaching the faith to their children. They may be taking them to mass, or enrolling them in Catholic schools.  But they aren't talking about the faith--and all the studies say this has devastating effects.  But to be fair, a lot of parents don't know what to do.  They had poor catechesis themselves, or just aren't comfortable being in a teaching role of any sort.  These parents need family faith helps that are as simple as slapping together a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich: good stuff, tasty, solid nutrition for the next couple of hours.

My husband used to work as an editor at a press, and has been doing free lance writing and editing for years.  He's good at design and social media engagement.  he has a solid background (including a master's degree) in Catholic theology.  He can create these books and more.  So in October, he decided to take the plunge and do it.  He created an imprint called Peanut Butter and Grace: books and resources for parents to better teach, pray, and live the faith with their kids, and books for kids to read with their parents.



Amazingly, my teaching career at a small liberal arts mission college and sporadic success as a blogger (erp) has not put us on easy street.  He got a little help to begin this ministry and has made it work so far based on a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  Lack of sleep has factored in too.  But the time has come to fundraise some money to get these items out more quickly.  He has published three books (two books that help children and adults pray the rosary with a classical art image for each prayer, and one book for parents needing ideas beyond saying grace, called 77 Ways to Pray With Your Kids.)




He wants to publish seven more books by the end of the year.  But there are some costs--paying illustrators, copyright permissions, editing costs, and especially marketing.  People love these books so far.  But there needs to be marketing so others know they exist!

To that end, in addition to the top eight items I am also the "campaign manager" for a crowdfunding endeavor to raise some funds to move this press forward quickly and well.  There is a lot more at the website: all about the books, published and upcoming, FAQ, the weekly newsletter with ideas to implement in your family's life this week, and more!  But consider this passing the collection plate.  Brother, if you have a dime, could you drop it in here?  There are perks for this almsgiving, and you have our heartfelt gratitude as well.  

If you don't have a dime, maybe you could spread the word.  Just like you spread peanut butter?  OK, OK, I'm done.  Thanks for reading and blessings to all of you!

Introducing Tanner

Friends, let me introduce you to a young boy named "Tanner."

Tanner is a 13 year old boy with Down Syndrome and some hearing loss.  He lives in a country in Eastern Europe (not my son Alex's country).

He lives in an orphanage.  He has no family caring for him.

He is one of the 200+ children with Down Syndrome listed on Reece's Rainbow, available for adoption.  There are even more children with other special needs on the site.  The idea is to create adoption grants for them, to help pay for an international adoption.  One of RR's mantras is there are people who want to adopt these children and provide them families--the initial cost is the primary barrier.

I'd like to make him one of the 1000+ (!!!) children Reece's Rainbow has helped get into families in the past five years.  Look at that number--over 1000 children found families with their help.  THIS IS POSSIBLE.

I agreed to be Tanner's "angel tree warrior" for this month and next. The idea is to raise $1000 more for his adoption account (which is already pretty healthy at $8000!).  We have $750 to go.

I am talking to my university's Students For Life group, and they may be interested in helping raise some funds.  But while it is a great opportunity for outreach and education and a little money, I don't think they can raise $750.  Tanner needs your help as well.

Please consider sharing this page with others and contributing yourself.  They take paypal, or you can send a check (write "Tanner #31-1" in the memo line).  Even the change in the bottom of your purse counts!  And if you want to make a substantial donation, keep in mind Reece's Rainbow is a 501c3 organization--you can write this off on your taxes (if you are an American).

Y'all--I'll be honest.  The stats tell us that kids with special needs have an uphill battle in getting adopted.  So do boys.  Especially older boys.  But he needs a family.  Orphanage life is no life for a child, and it usually goes from bad to worse at adulthood.  He lives in a country that has a straightforward and relatively quick adoption process.  There is hope.

We can do this.  WE CAN DO THIS.  Please pray, pass the word, and plunk in a coin at Tanner's profile today.

Thanks, Susan
aka IC

100 pennies each...

Blogger friend Matthew Lickona at Korrektiv has been sitting on a provocative graphic fantasy novel on Alphonse, an aborted fetus who lives with freaky super human powers and goes on a tear for revenge (yes, really). I've read parts of this--it is VERY well presented and thought-provoking (in addition to being bizarre, but in a good way). He's on a campaign for 40,000 people donating a dollar to get it published.

I would want to support this because it is fine writing--very disturbing, enlightening, eloquent at once. But people, think about the underlying message here. This would be getting Catholic-themed literature in the hands of people who usually don't see a life message. There are multiple reason this is worth you 100 pennies.

Please consider it and share; he needs the word to get out for this to work!

Prayer request: adopting Alex

Many of you remember we are adopting five year old Alex, whose lives in an Eastern European country institution, and lives with cerebral palsy.

Well, we received some frustrating news. The adoption authority in Alex's home country has told us the dossier is allowed to be submitted March 29th. That's over six weeks later than we expected! And with extended approval time, and waiting for a travel date time, that puts traveling to meet Alex and adopt him well into ... May.

• All together: AUGGGGHHHHH!
• And as our kids reacted, sputtering: "That's not fair!" (We have expected early March all along.) Yes, kids, you get that point better than those fun-loving bureaucrats. We realize adopting is a privilege and not a right. But when literally everything is done, approved, translated, and collecting dust in a tray...waiting three months to travel is a bitter pill to swallow.

This far-out dossier date was unexpected on everyone's part. Because the adoption authority just reorganized, they instituted some new rules around ceasing to fast-track many special needs adoptions. We're getting caught in that delay through no fault of ours, no fault of our facilitators, and certainly no fault of Alex's. Remember--the government doesn't even formally know we hope to adopt him, due to the way they handle international adoptions. They just know we want to adopt a child his age with his special need.

Alex's country being what it is, this could "change back" to a fast-tracking process. That is our best hope for getting the date moved up. Honestly, we're ready to go. Alex is no doubt ready to have a better life: a family that loves him, therapy for his CP, an opportunity to learn. And he needs out of the institution--he's not hanging out at the Club Med. This date is just one more hurdle.

After a difficult few hours, we realized there is really nothing we can do to change this situation but pray. The situation feels like we need prayer and fasting (Mt 17:21). Jerry is fasting from sweets. I am going to be fasting from Diet Coke for nine days (those of you who know me know I'm dead serious now, because I'm completely addicted). If you feel led to fast for smooth and quick sailing for Alex's adoption, please do. You can tell us, or not, but we do appreciate it regardless.

Also, we are encouraging people to do nine days of prayer with us (our Catholic friends know this is called a novena, nothing "magical" about it, just a set period of intense intentional prayer). We're going to be praying a short prayer for the intercession of St. Joseph, who, as the foster father of Jesus, has a special love for those in need of fathers. You should feel free to pray for Alex's quick and smooth adoption process as you wish--if you pray in another fashion you prefer, please add Alex to your prayers for nine days with us all. But if you want to join us:

St. Joseph, foster-father and protector of Jesus Christ! To you do I raise my heart and hands to implore your powerful intercession. Please obtain for me from the kind Heart of Jesus the help and graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I ask particularly for the grace of a happy death, and the special favor I now implore, that Alex is kept safe and well, and that his adoption move forward quickly.

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel animated with confidence that your prayers in my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

V. O glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His name,
R. Hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us, and move quickly this adoption of your small friend, Alex.

Amen.

The novena and fasting will start for us Thursday, February 9th. Please consider joining us in some fashion. We will post reminder updates on the facebook page for Alex (feel free to "like" the page and follow that way). We trust God has our back in this, but Jesus did say "ask and you shall receive"--which means he wants us to ask for great things! We will accept God's response in any case, but we are compelled to ask for a much sooner travel date, against all bureaucratic lethargy. By the way, we know--moving out the travel date by three months doesn't seem like too long, but when you are a child who cannot walk living in a mental institution, and when you are prospective parents not knowing how your son is really doing, and when there is no reason to wait--three months is too long.

Thank you, and we believe Alex will thank you.


(More about Alex and the adoption process here.)

Last Day of Alex's Big Bleg (and you may win a lovely rosary)!

(Alex at three!)

People have been so generous to us and (much more importantly) to Alex. If you haven't looked at this blog in a week, we're in the midst of our big bleg drive for pre-travel funds to help us in our adoption of 5 yr old Alex, who has cerebral palsy and is living in an institution in Eastern Europe. There is one more day to participate in this drive by contributing at this chip in widget (which goes to our PayPal account):




And someone on Saturday will win a $30 credit at my sister-in-law Becky's Etsy shop, Roses for Mary. One of her many lovely rosaries is seen at right. It's a Respect Life rosary (October is Respect Life month, you know!).... And if you're not a rosary person and you win, we'd be happy to give you a $30 Amazon Giftcard instead.

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!

Want to help change a life? Win a beautiful rosary too? UPDATED

Friends, you know from a previous post that we are thick in the middle of living out a call to adopt Alex, a beautiful 5 yr old child of God who lives in Eastern Europe and is stuck in a (VERY) basic care institution simply because he has CP. Some people have asked what they can do to help change Alex's life. And the first thing we always say is pray for Alex's protection. Children with special needs are in pretty dire straits if they are orphaned in this country: no school ever, primitive care, limited treatment for their diseases or disabilities. While we have recent information that he is doing OK, considering, we'd very much like it to stay that way and pray for his protection every morning and evening.

But the second reality is that international adoption is not cheap at all. No one I know has $25,000 cash lying around. While we are in a better situation than we could have expected financially, we could really use help with the pre-travel expenses associated with this adoption. For example, sic needs to renew his passport ($110). We need to pay for all these documents to get apostilled ($3-10 a document, and there are what, 20 documents?). Paying to Fed Ex materials to this country so that they will actually GET there in less than three months ($200-300?). Paying for super special fingerprints for the USCIS ($720--yes, you read that right). We will make it happen. We've nearly paid for the home study and promise trust (that's over $4000). But could we use help? Oh yes, we can, trust me. We're pretty frugal folks--one older minivan for the family, lots of clearance back rack clothes shopping, well-versed in bean-based dishes, and vacations involve camping because it's cheap--but pinching pennies only goes so far.

We're running a giveaway to help raise these necessary funds. If you are led to help Alex (this is in the end for him! and even $5 is MUCH appreciated), put some money in the chip-in here, which goes into our paypal account:




Every person who donates money between now and October 21 will be added to our prayers. We will also use random.org on October 22 to choose a person to win a $30 credit at my sister-in-law Becky's Etsy shop, Roses for Mary. She hand-makes REALLY lovely rosaries out of clay and glaze--look at her shop feedback! People are truly delighted with these. A $30 credit is enough to buy one of the fanciest rosaries or 2-3 of the simpler rosaries or chaplets. Your selections must be limited to stock on hand. But here are some current samples:

They would make great Christmas presents, even if you aren't into rosey rosaries (and not all of them involve roses). So bookmark her store already! :-)

Also, if you aren't into rosaries (I know there are non-Catholic readers and friends out there), we'd be happy to give the winner a $30 Amazon gift card instead.

Please keep Alex in your prayers, and please spread the word about this giveaway via fb, Google+, twitter, your blog, email, or ye olde phone. It's humbling to ask for money...but for my son? I'd do much more than this.

--IC

UPDATE: Wow, folks. Thank you so much for your generosity, on just the first day of our begging.... We absolutely promise to make good use of this, and probably in the next 2-4 weeks. Thank you so much, and Alex would thank you if he knew (maybe? maybe? there's a stirring in his heart that something is happening?). The giveaway continues to run through Oct 21.

A Big Bleg, Not Funny At All

Some of you know we are on the adoption journey. We hope to give you a concrete update on that soon.

In the meantime, one of the children on our hearts has been Alex, who is 4, has CP, and lives in an Eastern European country. We just found out he has been transferred to an institution for older kids/adults in his country. This is typical around age 5-6. But not at all good. These institutions range from kinda barely OK to "crimes against humanity" cases. It is especially hard for children who cannot walk--is it very possible they just get ignored.

He is still available to be adopted. There is that hope. So what to do?

1) Money in his account is his best ticket out. International adoption is expensive and Reeces Rainbow sets up grants for particular children to offset the costs. This is a brilliant idea, because there are people who want to adopt these children with special needs--but cannot afford the approx. $25000 cost. Reeces Rainbow is a 501c3 organization, so donations are tax-deductible. Right now, an enterprising 17 year woman and young mom are running a campaign for Alex, and you can donate AND enter their giveaway of all kids of gift certificates and nice items.

2) Anyone willing to adopt him--especially if you are "paper ready" (that means your home study is done)--please consider it. The country goes on "break" from processing adoptions from November to the end of January. The sooner the better. If you can't adopt, you can spread the word.

3) Please pray.

Thanks all. I had ideas for funny posts today, but when I got this news last night, I couldn't have cracked a joke for the life of me. Peace.

Good news! Anthony is going to have a family!

Many of you who have been following the blog for a while know I have been advocating and fundraising for a child named Anthony, who is nearly 6 yrs old and has CP, living in Eastern Europe.  Anthony is an orphan and needed a family desperately, before being transferred to a mental institution for adults.

Did you notice?

That was in PAST TENSE.  A family stepped forward and is planning to adopt Anthony.  He is now off the list! So altogether now: Alleluia!

This is the difference between life and death for this child.  Children with special needs deserve life and families, and I am happy things are working out for Anthony.  (p.s. keep praying--the adoption is far from complete!)

Perhaps this would be a good time to mention that Tori, the child with CP we advocated for last year, is home with her beautiful family in Texas and absolutely flourishing?

But there are more.  And more and more and more.

One of the best ways to educate yourself--and help a family adopt, and save a child's life--is to check out what's happening at Reece's Rainbow, a ministry that advocates and enables special needs international adoption.  This is the culture of life, everyone.

If it is easier to focus on a single child (and it often is):

Help Carlene.

Carlene is part of the 5/5/5 initiative at RR.

She has already been transferred, and needs a family asap.  She is 5 years old, has Down Syndrome, but is the size of a two year old.  Others who have met her (through adoptions from her previous orphanage) say she is adorable and friendly.

It is easy to help, by spreading the word, raising money, donating money.  One child at a time....

Remember Tori?

New picture of Tori, February 2011!

Remember when I was being a royal pain in the tuckus all October blegging for Tori, the five year old with CP in an institution in Eastern Europe? Remember she got fully funded ($23000!) in 16 days? Remember her adoptive parents stepped up the hour before the fully funded figure was announced?

Her (new!) parents, a couple from Texas with five other children, just adopted her (and another little girl with Down Syndrome!). They had their court date in the Eastern European country yesterday and after a 10 day wait, Tori--to be renamed Reagan Faith--will go to her new home in Texas.

We won! The culture of life won! Reagan's parents won! and Reagan won!

Thank you for helping this happen. Money is the only thing standing between these special needs children and a family. Unfortunately, the alternative for many of them is either an early death or a living death in understaffed institutions for orphans with special needs.

Old pic of Anthony, from 2009

I bleg again to ask you to help Anthony, who has a substantial grant for an adoptive family, and for whom time is running short. Yes, he needs money, but mostly, he needs a family to step up right now. Andrea at the amazing Reece's Rainbow sent me a new picture of Anthony yesterday, and the poor child does not look happy--but then again, I'm not sure he has a lot to be happy about. He deserves a family who loves him just the way he is. We are still trying to advocate for Anthony at this website.

FYI--the inevitable question--some of you know we are trying to adopt. We're still trying to get financial pieces in order and may not be able to get that in place in time to help Anthony. And we're still discerning if we're the family for Anthony as well--Anthony has significant CP and we have a house that is not built for that at all, so that is part of our financial equation as well. But I am sure God wants Anthony to be in a family--somebody's family.

Regular people like you and me do make a difference. Please spread the word, please pray, and consider helping yourself. Thank you!

Serious post and big announcement

Announcement: We're trying to adopt a child with special needs.  :)  This may take a while, but we're excited!

In the meantime, this little boy needs a home immediately.  And we can't pull our finances together soon enough to make that family ours.  Please go to this blog post, where I blog my heart out for Anthony...and say a prayer that someone can step forward for him.  Better yet--pass the word.  Thanks!

Prayer and a Giveaway!

I'm blegging again, but you can also win a potential Christmas present!

1. I'm praying the St. Andrew novena starting today (the feast of St. Andrew) for 15 days, praying for a family to step forward for Anthony. He's the sweet looking boy to the right: 5 years old, with CP, and needs a family asap. He has a substantial adoption grant that will defray international adoption costs. Right now--we need to pray for his family to have the courage to step forward! Please consider joining me!

2. And since a growing grant fund builds hope and is a real help to the parents, I am stumping for funds again, but with a twist. I'll give away a copy of Dear Communion of Saints (signed if you want) to a randomly chosen person who donates to Anthony's fund (housed at Reece's Rainbow*) through this chip-in. ANY size donation, including a single dollar, will be accepted for this giveaway! But you need to donate by Dec 14th 11:59pm central time. Thank you, everyone! Please spread the word if you can!

*Reece's Rainbow is a 501C3 organization and accepts donations in any currency through Paypal. It is an brilliant organization and you can find out more at http://www.reecesrainbow.org .

My last "pain in the tuckus" post, wrapped in a miracle

(Humor blogging resumes soon. I promise. I've got two in the hopper.)

OK: all of my friends, and most of my fb buds and blog audience, agree I have been a royal pain in the tuckus. I have taken lessons from PBS on fundraising and and have done everything but offer the IC mug for your contribution of $10 a month to Reece's Rainbow and Tori's special needs adoption (hmmmmmm?...nah).

But here's the miracle, people: when a woman (then unknown to me) and I began to separately but simultaneously fundraise for Tori--a 5 yr old girl from Eastern Europe with CP who needed a family immediately--things began to happen. Yes, we raised some money for sure. We apparently also raised some hopes. And we don't know how it happened, but between our feeble efforts and (apparently) a significant anonymous grant, her adoption fund, which was at $1000 October 1, shot up to $23,516. That's fully funded, people. And without a family commitment, it's almost unheard of.

A family, who had adopted three other special needs children from this same country in the past year, had been pining for Tori for six months. But they were financially wiped from the previous adoption. They saw the combined effort and growing hope that Tori may get funding and adoption...and they decided to go out on a limb and commit. When they decided this, they logged on to the computer--and Tori's fund had just jumped to fully funded status.

There's more to this, but you get the idea. This isn't my work, people. It's GOD work. It was a miracle. And Tori and her future parents still need prayers--the adoption isn't final until she's out of there with everything signed. But her future has more hope than it has in years. Now, she HAS a future.

OK, so I had promised God I would try to go as all out as I can (i.e. be a royal pain in the tuckus) to fundraise for one month, all October (Respect Life month!). And Tori is on her way to getting adopted and out of the institution she is trapped in now. Earlier in the month, I planned a Fun Run honoring special needs adoption, which is in full swing now--October 30th if you're in my town! The Fun Run money, and anything we fundraise this week, is going to another child in Eastern Europe with CP, needing a family: Anthony. He needs help no less than Tori did--he is the age where children age out of the orphanage system and often suffer badly because of it. It's especially hard on children who cannot walk (and he cannot). Many children die in these conditions. So I ask, one last time, if Tori got funded before you could help...please help little Anthony. We can make a difference: I know of two grants going to Anthony and his future family to the total of $6000, so can we raise another $4000? Whew. You can visit the Help for Tori page and donate, or read more about Anthony and our efforts.

Every dollar helps. Reece's Rainbow is run entirely by very dedicated volunteers, so all the money (except Paypal fees) goes to the child's adoption fund, to be given to parents who commit to adopting the child to help cover international adoption costs. It is also a 501c3 org, in case you want to make a tax deduction. Thank you and God bless! If you cannot help, please spread the word, because we need to find Anthony's future parents and the more people who know about this, the more quickly that will happen!

How often do you get to save someone's life?

Serious post ahead. Back to humor on Monday!

I posted a seriously big bleg on behalf of a blogging buddy a few days ago. You folks, and our Loving God, answered that bleg BIG. And those of you who are long time readers, this will not come out of nowhere. But I am asking, indeed begging, for your help.

This "respect life" month, I am running a campaign to fund the adoption of a little girl I have never met, and probably never will. Her name is Tori, she is nearly five years old, and she has cerebral palsy. She was in an orphanage in Eastern Europe, and has recently been institutionalized, as is the practice in her country. If you want reading that will give you nightmares, read this Human Rights Watch report on the orphanage system and special needs children. Tori needs parents bad.

There are many people with big hearts and tough, realistic love who are willing and desiring to adopt special needs children, people who see them for the gifts from God that they are--real blessings to our families and our world. But the biggest hurdle for these families is the cost. International adoption is incredibly expensive. This program I love and respect, Reece's Rainbow, saw a problem (connecting special needs kids in dire situations with waiting parents), saw a possibility (change a life, change a family, change a culture, be a witness!), and saw a solution (advocacy for the vulnerable and allowing even strangers, like me, to fundraise for a child's future adoptive family)!

This may be a somewhat atypical way to "respect life," and by all means, do the things you normally do! Write letters to our government, staff pregnancy clinics, walk with women in crisis pregnancies. But I'm begging you, please take a few moments to spare a dollar or twenty or more for making it possible for Tori to have a family, and for a family to have Tori. A mental institution is no place for a normal four year old with cerebral palsy; the hard reality is that many of the children placed in that environment die an early death. But the joyful reality is...together, we can save this one, and she can have a much happier life. There are homecoming and "life beyond" stories all over Reece's Rainbow and through many other sites. We are working for the happy ending we know God wants!

I'd love to see $19,000 raised. That would almost fully fund the international adoption costs. I know, that feels crazy even typing it. But we will do what we can do, and honestly, I do think it is possible. I'm talking to groups, posting, writing articles, doing whatever I can do this month. But I am one small person. I need everyone's help.

If you cannot contribute to Tori's fund this month, please consider spreading the word for donations and her parents. And, of course, praying like there's no tomorrow. If anyone wants to help me in this campaign, please contact me. Thank you and God bless!

IC

Back to our humor next week, but I ask you to track our progress at Help for Tori.

Seriously Big Bleg

UPDATE! at bottom of the post!

There is a beautiful Christian family (Adeye and Anthony Salem) that keeps a blog on life, love, and adopting special needs children (they have three birth kids, and four adopted). Through them, I am aware of a little girl named Yulia, almost three, who has an extremely rare (and sadly, fatal) disease who desperately needs to be adopted by a special family that will love her and make her comfortable as this disease progresses. Right now she is in an orphanage in Eastern Europe, in a room where those they deem as the medically "far gone" children are virtually ignored and given adult tranquilizers to sleep much of the day. The tranquilizers induce sleep--they do nothing for pain, which this little girl will have with this disease. Even more importantly, she needs a human being to love her--to be a "God with skin on" (if you know that story). Adeye adopted two daughters from this orphanage and she is trying hard to get this little girl, who she visited with for a month, a safe, loving home immediately, saying Nothing is Impossible for God!

Four things I ask you to consider:

1. Who know who reads this blog, but maybe you would take this child into your home. There is a program to walk you through international special needs adoption called Reece's Rainbow, and Yulia is listed with them.

2. If that isn't possible, Adeye is raising money for the adoption, because the family who receives Yulia should not have to deal with admittedly high international adoption costs. Could you spare a dollar, or ten, or fifty? She is generously running a giveaway--an IPad to a randomly selected person who "chips in" on this chip-in widget set up for Yulia--to sweeten that pot. The chip-in money will be held at Reece's Rainbow and given to the parents who commit to adopting Yulia. They need a lot of money ($25,000 covers everything)--but I've seen people pull this off, and the cause is more than worthy. FYI, if Yulia is not adopted, the money would stay at Reece's Rainbow and be applied to another special needs adoption. It is money well spent.



3. Spread the word. Who knows where this child's future parents are lurking...she may find a family through your post, your facebook update, your church group.

4. Pray. My heart just breaks, not just for this situation, but many like it. It seems hopeless, but prayer changes things. The movie got it all wrong: it's not pray eat love. It's pray, love, and act.

Thanks, all.

UPDATE! OK, God has worked through his people to fund this child's adoption in a mere 5 days. Amazing grace indeed! Thanks for the help! NOW we need to spread the word and continue to pray for this little girl's parents to step forward, with peace and excitement!

Also, if you are coming to this late, there are a lot of special needs children that will be put in a much better position for adoption if they are funded like this. At Reece's Rainbow you can fund the family that has committed to a child (most on this site have Down Syndrome) or the child him/herself. I interviewed the founder, Andrea, yesterday with my college class on Catholic Social Teaching, and she is an amazing witness. I encourage you to support this program in whatever way you can!

Prayers, please!

I am asking everyone here to pray, and tell others to pray, for my sister-in-law, Becky. She gave birth a week ago and suffered a completely unexpected, massive heart attack last night. She is in a medically induced coma at a major hospital in Minneapolis for probably the next five days. The doctors are giving her chances of survival at 50/50. On the up side, if she comes out of the coma and off the ventilator, her chances of full recovery are quite good.

Her family blog is here.

Becky is 34 and has 4 kids (five years and under), including one with autism. If you could also pray for her husband and these kids....

Prayers for my local church

Hi, folks. 

Pulling on the IC reader prayer power here: one reason blogging has been a bit on the fly is that I am the volunteer coordinator of a five parish Mission on evangelization (specifically, the USCCB directive "Go and Make Disciples"). It's this coming weekend.  And right now, it looks like a really good Mission.

But candidly, it has been a lot more work than I expected, and I think (think, I say) I'm on top of the 100+ details.  It will be a hairy week. Please pray that many attend, it goes smoothly, the five parishes see how well collaboration works (we don't do this much), and we have good weather (no small prayer project in Minnesota late February).  Most of all, pray that people may embrace a spirit of evangelization!  

Thanks!

Prayer Bleg

Joanna, the owner of Crazy Christian Clips (see post below), is an Australian whose home is endangered by the wildfires there. Prayers would be appreciated.

Bleg

Hello, folks. My brother in law (hi, M!) attended Franciscan Univ at Steubenville a few years ago, and at his graduation, my husband bought a CD in the school's bookstore called "The Steubenville Project." I think we have Vol 2, so there must be a Vol 1 (maybe even a Vol 3?). I really enjoy this CD (call this post a window into my slice of devotional life) and would love to get the other one or two CDs...but finding them has been impossible. Do any of you intrepid ironic catholics have a copy you would be willing to sell me?

My email is at left in the sidebar. Thanks!

Prayer request

A rising senior at the university I work at was in a train accident (as in she was hit by a train) this weekend. Her situation sounds very grave, she received a serious head injury; but it sounds as though her health can go in either direction. Could you please say a prayer for Christy's healing, and that God's strength and peace be with her family and friends? Thank you.

Update: On one hand, the swelling on her brain has increased (although that is normal 3-5 days after a head injury, say the nurses), and on the other hand, she is moving her fingers...first sign of response since her accident. So...please keep praying!

Second update (Wednesday): Keep praying. Christy is still in a coma and shows ambiguous signs...could be waking up, could be getting worse. She also has pneumonia, although that seems to be improving. Keep praying.

Third update (Friday): Her heartrate is fluctuating quite a bit, as well as pressure on the brain. She's hanging in there. Keep praying.

Fourth update (Monday): She is still in a coma but seems to be coming out of it, and the swelling is down. Her doctors are now talking about recovery. Thank God and keep praying, she has a long road to tred here.

Bleg

Does anyone know offhand where the statement "...God will bring to completion what He has started in you...." could be found in scripture? I'm 99% positive it is Paul, but striking out besides that.

Thanks in advance.