God Bless America

We had a great 4th of July.  We started the day out with the parade downtown and finished the day with our own little showing of fireworks.  My mom surprised us and joined us for the evening.  I have to say I got a little bit teary eyed as the parade started. When they walked by with the American flag and everyone started standing up to be able to look up and down the street and see the patriotism was such an awesome sight to see.  I thank all of the service men and women who lay down their lives so that me and my family can enjoy that freedom.  God Bless America!

Happy 4th of July

My momma and me

Yummy fruit cheesecake

Sparkler Fun

Little Cinderelly :)

Summer Fun

I cannot believe how fast this summer is breezing by! Enjoy the pics :)

From Hopeless to hopeful

“There is hope in your future, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:17, NKJV

In Christ there is hope; outside of Christ there is no hope. Those focused on heaven find hope; those focused on earth find hope illusive. A life lived by faith is hopeful, but a life lived in fear is hopeless. Hope is not just the outcome of an optimist, it is the fruit of those whose security is in their Savior Jesus Christ. Moreover, money messes with the mind as it demands full allegiance to the almighty dollar in exchange for a false hope.


However, we discover authentic hope and freedom in our submission to Christ as Lord and Master of our fate. Deep abiding hope is not a strategy, but a reality when we bow in reverent obedience to God. He does not tease His children with pseudo promises. On the contrary, our heavenly Father gave what was most precious to Him, His Son, so we could become sons and daughters of the most High. Indeed, hope is a gift from God.


“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32


Where is the root of your hope grounded? In your job or Jesus? With friends or faith? In your home or heaven? In earthly riches or the riches of God’s grace? Satan cannot steal the seed of hope when you plant it in the soil of Scripture. Your hope in Christ is not conditional to circumstances; rather it thrives on trust when assaulted by ambiguity. You move from hopelessness to hopefulness when what matters most, matters the most.


Jesus matters most. Faith matters most. Family matters most. Friends matter most. Love matters most. Fear of God matters most. Evangelism matters most. Discipleship matters most. Stewardship matters most. A healthy diet and regular exercise matter most. Prayer matters most, bible study matters most and forgiveness matters most. Your focus on what matters most is fuel for attaining comfort, hope and courage from Christ. He matters most.


Therefore, be hopeful as a child of God. Your hope in Christ is an advertisement for the Almighty. Those with no hope are attracted to the genuine hope in your heart. Indeed, you are hopeful, because of the origin of your optimism, and the greater purpose of your hope is to bring hope to the hopeless. Suicide shrivels with the prospect of hope. Faith comes alive in Christ and His loving acceptance. Praise the Lord that your hope is alive!


“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

by Wisdom Hunters Devotional

Where is....

Where is the mommy-war for the motherless child? 
Copied from the blog  www.rageagainsttheminivan.com

If you watch the trends of media, whether it be print, internet, or tv, you’ve probably noticed that every couple of months there is a new version of the “mommy war” being played out.  Last month’s battle du jour was surrounding moms who work vs. moms who stay at home. Today, a firestorm has ignited over a provocative photo and article in Time magazine about extended breastfeeding and attachment parenting.  These manufactured mommy wars are predictable because they tend to provoke strong reactions from mothers who feel judged, as well as mothers who want to feel superior for their choices. A litany of analysis, outrage, and defensiveness usually follows. Women tear each other down, while the entity responsible for initiating the battle reaps the benefit (whether it be a hot debate on a talk show or a political playing card).  The insecurities of women surrounding their parenting choices are frequently pawns in the ratings game, and I think the most recent Time magazine article and photo of a preschooler breastfeeding are intended to incite such a reaction.

I don’t much care if you breastfed your kid until they started kindergarten, or if you fed them formula from day one. I don’t really care if you turned your infant car-seat forward-facing prior to age 2, or if you homeschool, or if you send your kids to daycare while you go to work. Do you cosleep? Did you circumcise your son? I DON’T CARE.  Do you babywear? Push your kid around in a stroller? Use a leash for your kid at Disneyland?  Whatever.  Good for you. 

When it comes to issues of motherhood, there is one issue I care about: some kids don’t have one. All of these petty wars about the choices of capable, loving mothers is just a lot of white noise to me, Quite honestly, I’m often astonished at the non-essential parenting issues I see moms getting their panties in a wad about. Particularly when there are so many kids in this world not being parented at all.

This is the only mommy war I’ll wage.  I’m confident that most mothers are doing the best that they can for their kids, even if their choices are different than mine.  I think it’s ridiculous that so much energy is spent on debating largely inconsequential parenting decisions when so very little attention is given to the children who DON’T HAVE PARENTS. Why isn’t this causing outrage?  Making magazine covers? Inciting ranty twitter posts?

This is the war I’ll be involved in: We, as a society, are not doing enough to protect at-risk and motherless children, both in our country and globally. 

(Because apparently we’re too busy worrying about that kid whose mom gave him formula).

The kind of war I’ll get behind will advocate for kids with bigger issues than a mom who goes to work. Or doesn’t.

I’ll get upset about the fact that LA County’s family court system is so atrocious that they recently allowed press into court hearings for minors, in the hopes that this might finally provide some accountability for social workers who aren’t doing their job.  Let me repeat that: social workers are so understaffed and/or screwing up so badly that reporters are allowed into confidential court proceedings in the hopes that it will shape them up.

I’ll be disturbed by the 18-year-olds I regularly see on adoption photolistings who, despite being old enough to live independently, place themselves on national photolistings because they desperately want a mom and a dad in their adult life. Because, in one teen’s words, he "wants to become a member of a permanent family".

I’ll whine about how, when we called our Christian agency about a healthy African American boy from LA county who was in need of a home, we were told that they had no prospective adoptive parents willing to accept a placement of a black child. NOT ONE.

I’ll get my panties in a wad about a system that requires foster children to be placed in an adoptive home for 6 months before terminating parental rights, regardless of an absence of reunification efforts by the birth parents. I’ll be angry about how this scares away prospective adoptive parents, and hurts children by leaving them in a limbo even after years of no contact or even abandonment by their birth family. I’ll rant about how children whose parents have failed them should be made legally freed for adoption AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, so that more people would be willing to step forward and adopt.

I’ll get behind complaining about how the government renames orphans and calls them "wards of the state", and renames orphanages and calls them "group homes", and how we collectively turn a blind eye to the fact that we have hundreds of thousands of children waiting for families in the US.

I’ll be appalled over how many children around the world will age out of orphanages, due to lack of paperwork or other factors that make them ineligible for adoption.  I’ll continue posting about the deplorable conditions of third world orphanages, and the developmental challenges that neglected children will face.

I’ll fight for the moms who don’t have access to prenatal care, or for the moms who have to abandon their children because of poverty.  I’ll be mad that such inequities exist, and I’ll support organizations that help change it.

The only mommy war I support involves moms banding together to talk about the number of children in our world who are missing out on basic human needs. Security. Love. Affection. Let’s wage a war about that.  Not everyone can adopt, but we can all do something. Even if it’s just using our voices for something more productive than personal parenting choices.

HD Hero2 Camera Winner | Adoption Fundraiser

Thank-you to everyone who has been giving so generously to help us bring our daughters home from Ethiopia.  I can't express how grateful we are for each and everyone of you.  We are just past half way of the total funds required.

A journey of this magnitude has milestones along the way.  And those milestones deserve a little reward.  All of the adoptive families out there can relate to that.

I'm very excited to be giving away our first of three HD Hero2 Cameras.  If you haven't had a chance to see what these will do, click here for some videos.  It's an amazingly versatile camera that you can use with any sport or any adventure you go on.  It's even waterproof.  If you'd like to learn more about the specifications of the camera you can check out the details at BH Photo Video.

If you haven't been keeping up here is what you had to do to be eligible for the drawing:

1. Donate a minimum of $15 (one ticket for every $15 donated)
2. Become a follower of our blog: http://2ourbeloved.blogspot.com

The list wasn't anywhere near as long as I expected.  We have had approx 78 people donate to us and only 6 of those people are following our blog.  So the odds were really in your favor on this first drawing.

I guess you are all wanting to find out who the winner is by now.  ;)  So without further ado (abo, azo, ato, afo, alo), the winner is:

Rebecca Underwood

of Jackson, MO

Congratulations!!  The camera has already been ordered from BH Photo Video and will be shipping out today, Monday, May 7th to your home address.  :)  Once I get the tracking information, I'll send it your way.

Again, thank-you to everyone and remember there are two more HD Hero2 cameras to give away.  Less than $6k to go for the next camera.

Happy shooting!!

Your Works Are Wonderful

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" 
Psalm 139:13-14


Today I am doing something different.  I am opening up my blog for a guest post.  After being contacted by Heather and hearing her story I realized we all have something we are passionate about.  Sometimes our passion is born out  of situations we would rather not have experienced however Gods ways are higher than our ways. He truly can take stuff like cancer or infertility and bring goodness out of it to further His kingdom by bringing hope and healing to a broken world.  


Welcome Heather!

Optimism Helped Save My Life

As an optimist I am well aware of the fact that I am always wearing rose-colored glasses. I found my optimism to be more useful than ever when I was 36 and diagnosed with life-threatening cancer. To top it off, I had just given birth 3-1/2 months earlier.

On November 21, 2005, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. I could never have expected this diagnosis, especially when I felt that I was supposed to be having the time of my life with my new addition. I heard those words, “You have cancer.” I knew that I had choices; I could give up or I could face the diagnosis head on. I made my choice there, to put on my rose-colored glasses and fight so that I could raise my little girl.

I was referred to one of the leading mesothelioma doctors who truly gave me the hope that I would beat cancer. I gave the tumor, on my lung, a nickname – Punxsutawney Phil. I chose this name because I had my tumor removed on Groundhog’s Day in 2006. We gave that holiday a nickname too – Lungleavin Day. Every year we celebrate to remember that it is possible to conquer fear and see the good come from bad celebrations if we maintain hope and continue fighting.

If I was never diagnosed with cancer, there are so many amazing, strong and passionate people I would never have met. These people are tough. I call them mesothelioma warriors because they are committed to spawning awareness to this disease that most people know very little about. I am also proud to call them my friends. Anybody can become affected by mesothelioma; wives, husbands, sons, daughters and parents are affected. If not for my battle with cancer I would not know them.

Cancer is a double-edged sword in that it is the worst thing that has happened to me but it has left me changed for the better. I chose to see this dreadful situation as something I could bring light to, a situation that I would approach with no fear. I refused to give up the hope that I would survive. I feel that my life has so much more purpose now. I want to continue doing whatever I can to help others still fighting their battles.

Come to Me, April 27th

"Come to Me with empty hands and an open heart, ready to receive abundant blessings. I know the depth and breadth of your neediness. Your life-path has been difficult, draining you of strength. Come to Me for nurture.  Let Me fill you up with My presence: I in you, and you in Me.   My power flows most freely into weak ones aware of their need for Me. Faltering steps of dependence are not lack of faith; they are links to My presence."  John 17:20-23; Isaiah 40:29-31


So much to say and not sure where to start.... I love the sentence that says "come to Me for nurture".  I believe it is true that when we are weak God is strong.  Oh, how I need to rest in you Lord right now.  These last 2 months have been packed full.  We've cried and rejoiced all the while knowing it is YOU Lord directing our steps and going before us.


Thank you for your faithfulness and love for us.  Our hope remains steadfast in you.