Good-bye!

But only through July!

So don't cry!

(Cute rhyme, no?)

Well, this is my swan song for a month, for both blog and facebook. I will miss you all terribly, and I can't wait to be back in August to start up the conversation again. I will be refreshed and renewed -- hopefully my house will get a clean-out -- and I will be ready for the fight to get Obama voted out of office. (Girls in town, when that happens, can we have the biggest party evah?)

Anyway, what will I be doing on my July bloggy fast? Well, it seems like a dream, but I plan to finish reading two books that I started months ago.

From Atheism to Catholicism: How Scientists and Philosophers Led Me to the Truth

and

The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary

Also, thanks to wonderful Abigail who will guide me, I will be reading something the soul craaaaaaves:

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross

If possible, I will finally read one of the books that has been recommended by people I greatly admire. It is a commentary on Pope Benedict XVI's September 12, 2006, University of Regensburg lecture, which made news and caused a violent uproar when one quotation was taken out of context. The pope's address has been called "genius", and is a fascinating response to the challenges facing us moderns, examining politics, religion (including Islam), reason, man, and God. I may need my 23-year-old pre-pregnancy brain back in order to grasp this one, but I'm going to try:

The Regensburg Lecture

I also really, truly, desperately want to redo the Total Consecration with my husband. We did our first Consecration about 16 years ago, and it was the most amazing spiritual time in our marriage. It was five weeks of floating on grace. Will we have the discipline to do it again? Ah, there's the question! I'll let you know.

Okay, some of you have asked me to recommend blogs for reading while I'm gone, and that's a toughie. I love my blog roll, so feel free to peruse that list of gems, which include mommy blogs, adoption blogs, infertility blogs, and of course just your straight up Catholic blogs.

Now, if you like Catholic discussion in same vein as we do here, you might want to visit Devin Rose and/or Stacy Trasancos, as they are masters of reason, lovers of truth, and have juicy comment threads. Also, Ignitum Today is a great community blog where young adult Catholics congregate, and New Advent will keep you clicking through the best of Catholic commentary and blogs all day (it's dangerous for me to access that page, because then my day is shot).

And if you have any questions on the Catholic Faith, Catholic morality, Catholic apologetics, Catholic history, or anything Catholic, please ask our own JoAnna Wahlund, who is not only 143 times smarter than I, but who happens to be blog-sitting while I'm away. She's handling it all… I've given her the keys to the Bubble, and she will keep it clean and shiny until I return.

Also, don't forget the ample archives of the Bubble, which you can find under "Blog Archive" on the right, going back two years. Dig around! There's some good stuff you might have missed, including these serial posts that should keep you busy for a while:

My real life correspondence with an abortionist

My correspondence with a sex educator

Thoughts on the Church sex scandal

And of course, the whole host of Little Teachings from the Bubble is worth a look.

If you should actually reeeeeally miss me, please consider a love offering to my memory by throwing a couple of bucks into one (or both?) of these families' funds. They are One More Smith (remember Malcolm??) and Journey to Reunite Two Angels (if you tell Sylvia of your donation, you can be entered to win an iPad). I love these people. You can donate from this page directly with the links below, and donations are tax deductible:



And to keep a promise I made to a very special friend (and a friend of the orphans), I am going to keep Holly's picture here for the break, so that her beautiful face can be seen by all, including, I hope, her mommy and daddy. They are out there, and they simply need to see her, and fall in love with those big, green eyes. Click the photo for more information about this beautiful girl in need of a family:

Are you my mama? I am giggly and outgoing! I will make a good daughter!

Okay, folks, see you in August! I hope you are all still here when I get back! And if there are two or three of you who truly cannot live a month without me, you can email me or come see me on my other blog, where I will be lightly posting and checking in from time to time.

OH!! And don't forget to do all your Amazon shopping through the link at the very bottom of this blog (all the way down there!), because I'm giving 100% of the proceeds to the orphans and the families bringing them home.

XOXOXOXOXOXO!

Miss you already!

Wish you were here!


:)




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My Quick Takes are getting quicker...

…because the college kids have been home for a couple of weeks and we have ten people in this house! Crazy times, fun times, but it leaves me much less time to blog. I have to be succinct. Here goes.

1) Two of my favorite men. Different races, different cultures, different dimensions (one long dead), both princes of the Church, both smart as whips, both sharing the same faith that transcends all time and space. Man, I love being Catholic!!

If your eyes are old like mine, it says: "I am not amused by your amateur theology", ha ha!

2) Okay, so aside from the 47 other things that are just-so-wrong and depraved about this story itself and the existence of the website in the first place (which promotes bowl-a-thons to fund human abortions), does anyone notice something glaringly, obviously missing from this atrocious, heartbreaking piece about a 14-year-old girl?

Getting an abortion means getting a second chance

I'm not going to mention what it is. I want to see if anyone else notices.

3) I find myself asking (even shouting) the following question out loud lately: 

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GROWN-UPS GONE???

4) Saw this a few days back, from the brilliant Robert P. George, of Princeton, whose common sense, logic, and straight talk is so refreshing:

At a forum at Princeton a few evenings back, I predicted --- it hardly took much prescience --- that the race between Obama and Romney would be brutal and nasty. I see that the Obama supporters have already taken the gloves off. The consistently and strongly liberal Washington Post is running a story today reporting that 47 years ago, while at prep school, the adolescent Mitt Romney tackled another boy whose long hair and hairstyle he didn't like, and cut off some of his hair. 47 years ago. That would be 1965. Gosh, how can we get a sense of just when that was? Hmmm . . . Let's think. Well, it was after the Kennedy assassination and before Barack Obama used cocaine. Yes, it was definitely before Obama used cocaine. I mean, Obama was only four years old in 1965, so he couldn't yet have used cocaine. No, he only used cocaine later. Of course, the President doesn't use cocaine now. He hasn't used cocaine for a long time. Well, it's true that it has been less than 47 years since he used cocaine. So, I suppose if it's OK to bring up bad conduct that occurred 47 years ago, then it's perfectly OK to bring up bad conduct that happened less than 47 years ago, right? Or should both sides observe a rule against bringing up bad conduct from decades (and even half-centuries) ago that tells us nothing about what the candidates are like as people today? Obviously, the answer to that last question is yes. But the point of this comment, for anybody who hasn't gotten it already, is that there must be --- we must insist on --- a single standard to be applied to both campaigns and their supporters. Double standards are simply intolerable. What's fair for one side is fair for the other. What's foul for one side must be treated as foul for the other.

We all get that, right? Please say we do.


5) Had a son's kindergarten graduation on Wednesday night, a son's eighth grade graduation last night, and a bunch of year-end activities for everyone these past couple of weeks. May is a busy month! It is also Mary's month, and a time for countless worldwide May Crownings of Our Blessed Mother:

I am fairly certain I had never seen a May Crowning or procession in the first 27 years of my life as a Catholic. So grateful it's a yearly occurrence in my own children's lives!

6) I'm reviving the…

… with the following quote from LJP to Johanne (who, as a non-Catholic, finds the rules of Catholicism confusing):


Johanne,


I'd like to second Leila's appreciation for your answer. I understand where you are coming from...it can be confusing to see all the Tradition, Liturgy, dogma, etc.. and try to make sense of it all individually. I think this may be a case of missing the forest for the trees. If you are truly interested in coming to a better understanding of the Church, may I suggest a different route?


Let's say you are interested in learning about baseball; you know nothing about it but you do know several people who are quite passionate about the game. Would you want to start by reading up on the infield-fly rule, defensive strategy, or what factors are involved in determining batting lineups? Of course not! You would start by going to a few games, just enjoying the stadium, the roar of the crowd, the hot dogs, the beauty of the game itself. Are the rules of the game complex? Absolutely. Can a child enjoy and appreciate the play of the game without understanding the rules? Absolutely.


Think of Catholicism in the same way. If you are truly interested, look at the great Cathedrals, look at the abundance of art, music, philosophy, and science that has been created and forwarded by the Church faithful. Go to a Mass and just watch.


Would you judge the legacy, foundations, and beauty of the sport of baseball solely upon a reading of the Mitchell Report (report on the investigation into the use of steroids in the MLB)? No, you would read stories of the the greatest players, the greatest games, the greatest stadiums.


Read a biography of a saint. Visit a Cathedral. Find a local monastery and spend an afternoon there.


I would suggest taking a look at Fr. Robert Barron's website, wordonfire.org. He has many, many interesting videos that explain many aspects of the faith. He's the one who puts forth the baseball analogy I used earlier (although much more profoundly than I did).


Start by seeking the Beautiful. This will lead you to the Good. Eventually you'll end up at the Truth. Then you can dive into all the rules you want.


Just thought I would share that.


I'm so glad he did!


7) Finally, orphan stuff. I've decided that Quick Takes #7 will always be about orphan stuff. You can always skip #7 if you'd like, but I hope you will read this post from my other blog before you do. There is so much hope, and when you read this story, you will understand the happy side of all this!

How 'bout some GOOD orphan news??? :)

See? So simple to feel better about things, and even get excited!

Oh, and look at Stella:

Mommy and Daddy, are you out there?

Do you want Stella? Go and get Stella. She's available for adoption, and she needs you. Get more information, here.

Yes, I believe that each #7 is going to feature the photo of a waiting child from now on, too. :)

One last thing: Malcolm is still waiting in that darned orphanage, but the rusty wheels of bureaucracy are slowly moving ahead, and the Smiths hope to have him home by the end of the year. They hope to take their first flight to his country before he is sent to the adult mental institution (transfer apparently scheduled for September, sigh), so that he will be "held" at the baby house instead. The family is so close to being fully funded, but we are still trying to close that gap. Kara has put together an online silent auction (too fun!) for Malcolm and the Smiths. You can go look at the great items here (or search "Bidding Malcolm Home" on facebook) and start anticipating! The bidding begins on Saturday, June 2, and I think there could be a feeding frenzy on some of those items. :)

I lied. There is still one more thing. The iPad giveaway to bring Ava home to America -- to be reunited with her orphanage crib-mate and be real sisters at last! -- is now running, here. My son just donated (he really wants an iPad to help orphans), and I will be donating too, once June begins (my husband can attest that I've gone over my orphan donation quota for the month of May).



Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks to Jen for hosting!





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Quick Takes: Gay "marriage" plus some good stuff, too!

Let's get right to it, even publishing before midnight (is that allowed??)…

1) I asked a pro-"choice" lady on facebook when she thought that human life begins, and she responded uber-emotionally and repeatedly that she would not allow herself be "intimidated" by me. Well, thank goodness she did not cave to my mob-like tactics.


2) With the "big news" of the week, the wonderful Dr. Gerard Nadal said what a lot of us were thinking:

Thank God, Obama finally endorsed same-sex "marriage"

Truly, it's about time he 'fessed up! My gosh, as if we didn't know to where this man was "evolving" on the subject? Seriously, was anyone confused about where his thoughtful analysis would land him? It makes me laugh, the pretense has been just so ludicrous!

Anyhoo, Dr. Nadal analyzes the sad road we are on, and here's a powerful excerpt:

Part of the pathology of gay/lesbian marriages (and most divorces in heterosexuals) is the belief that a child can do just fine without a mother or a father. At least in divorce the reality of one-parental involvement is a tragic consequence. In gay and lesbian unions it is a principled and celebrated world-view. 

Worse still is the implicit validation of what some in the homosexual community call heterosexuals aloud: breeders. Gay men who donate sperm for IVF and surrogate motherhood merely use women as barnyard livestock. (So do the heterosexuals who pioneered and grew this beastly industry.) 

Breeders. 

Lesbian couples seeking sperm donations for either insemination or IVF do as much with men: Stud animals. 

The entire affair signals the collapse of Western/Christian Civilization. We have lost sight of who we are, what our children require, and have subordinated their needs to our narcissistic and hedonistic obsessions. 

There is nothing sweet and benign about two men determining that they are just as good as a mother. Such belief betrays their hostility toward women at the biological and metaphysical core of womanhood. The same for lesbians with men.

Read the rest, here.


3) What is particularly bizarre about Obama's "evolved" position is that he dared to use Jesus Christ as the basis for his decision. You see, there have been 20 centuries (try to imagine, slowly, 2,000 years of human history) of unbroken Christian moral teaching about the grave sinfulness of homosexual acts. In the last two minutes, historically speaking, a small percentage of Protestant Christianity has, following the trajectory of the sexual revolution, decided to remove Christian teaching and replace it with the heretofore unheard of idea that gay sex is good and holy. (By the way, these are largely the same Christian sects that have also endorsed human abortion.)

I say to Barack Obama: Your wife and children may have informed your brand new beliefs about gay "marriage", but in no way was Christianity your influence -- unless Christian sexual morality has been kidnapped, bound, chloroformed, dumped in a roadside ditch and then replaced by its very opposite.

See, we Christians don't just get to make up Christian doctrine as we go along. Sorry. Revealed religion doesn't work that way.


4) Speaking of "evolving" on the issue of gay "marriage", I know quite a few folks who have "evolved" the other way, including our own Stacy Trasancos, who describes her change of heart:

My evolution against "gay marriage"

Praise God, the Church Christ founded still stands to give us back our dignity when we cannot even find it in ourselves. 

I love Peter Kreeft's words on the subject:

‎"The Church is the best friend of homosexuals, both because she tells them they are made in God's image and have intrinsic dignity and rights and are called to be saints, and because she is the only social force left that insists on moral absolutes. So when they sin against themselves she says NO, just as she does to heterosexuals who sin against themselves sexually, but when others sin against them she says NO also. No one else dares to say NO. She speaks up for everyone, including homosexuals."

If you liked that, you need to read what Dr. Kreeft said just prior! Right here.


5)
Do you want to cleanse yourself from all the bad news out there and refresh your psyche with an easy but profound read, which is also a darned good story? Read Michael Oher's book about his life from abandoned child of a crack addict to hardworking, honorable millionaire.

Michael Oher, if you recall, is the main character in The Blind Side (loved that movie!), and hearing him tell his life story was balm for my soul. It's called I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond, and I've been meaning to tell you about it for months. What a hopeful book, with no annoying blame-shifting or class- and race-war rhetoric.

(Sorry for the bad formatting and the weird comma that won't go in place! What the heck, Amazon Associates? Why can't you go back to the way you used to be? Sigh.)

6) For the best online feel-good story of the week, go here:

I am a survivor: Born into poverty and addiction, but grateful to be alive

The best part was the unexpected reveal near the end! I was so shocked, and completely blown away! You will love this beautiful young girl's story. Especially if you have been following all the stuff I do on my other blog, which leads us to...


7) Attention! You have about 24 hours (or, until midnight Friday) to enter the iPad giveaway to help the Smiths bring Malcolm home! Even my adult kids have entered, donating as a tithe but secretly hoping to walk away with a brand new iPad!! Their odds are good, but I'm asking you to make their odds a little worse. (Sorry, kids.) Go here for details.

And, if you live in the Phoenix area and are somehow NOT planning to attend the "Baking Malcolm Home" event in just one short day (on Saturday!), then you are nuts, and you will regret it for the rest of your life. You cannot believe the lineup of guests! And the baked goods, egads! I cannot wait to see you. Go here for details.

Also, there is a chance for you wonderful people to make a real difference in the life of an orphan with Down Syndrome named Sheridan, by busting him out of the mental institution to which he's been transferred. A loving family wants to commit to him now, but they cannot yet do so. Please, to find out why, click this photo link to my other blog to read the story:

Sheridan, waiting for years now for a family.

I get emails from readers telling me that they love the Bubble. If you love the Bubble, could I ask you to throw that love to a child in need? It would mean the world to me, and today it also could mean Sheridan's very life.

(And there has to be at least one multi-millionaire who reads the Bubble, right? If not, can we find one?!)

Finally, congratulations to one of our own blogger sisters, Meg from True, Good, and Beautiful, who is the process of adopting one of the Reece's Rainbow cuties, Justin! Check out her new adoption blog which will chronicle the journey!




Prayers for Jen this week as she works through something terrible. God bless you, Jen. We love you lots.





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Quick Takes, and my second blog...

1) Yes, I've gone and done it. I can't turn the Bubble into an orphan advocacy blog as it has a whole different purpose, so I just started a new one, ha ha! Now, I have two blogs, with different foci. Yes, I just used the word "foci"! If you are following the children on Reece's Rainbow as closely as I am, you will want to join me over at:

Orphan Report

I think it looks sharp, if I do say so myself! Although I do use way too many exclamation points there, I have noticed. Hmmmm.

2) Speaking of orphans, there is one less orphan in the world today, as Malcolm has a family! After the wildly successful "Malcolm Monday" blogger blitz that brought in $7,000, a wonderful family was able to formally commit to making Malcolm their son!

You can follow the story of Malcolm's adoption, here:

One More Smith

The Smiths still have a long way to go to reach the final amount, but lots of us are trying to get creative, and we won't rest until Malcolm gets all the way home.

Meanwhile, here are the results of the giveaway drawing: I numbered each entry and then, with my honest husband as a witness, activated an online random number generator that picked our winner, A.H.! She is a non-blogger who made a donation to Malcolm's fund. Enjoy the book, A.H.!


3) Pretty darn sure you guys and the push for Malcolm and the orphans were a part of what Simcha Fisher refers to in this excellent piece:

What Else Do Pro-Lifers Do?

Check it out and see what I mean. Also, you will enjoy the way she schools the self-congratulatory pro-"choice" chap on facebook who, unlike us nasty pro-lifers, "cares about children after they are born." (Never heard that one before, ha ha.)

4) I am honored to count Nik Nikas and Dorinda Bordlee, pro-life attorneys at the Bioethics Defense Fund, as close family friends.

Dorinda and Nik at the Supreme Court this week.

I love these two madly (and I don't usually say that about attorneys). They are heroes in the culture war, and trust me, they have your back, doing work that would make you stand and cheer. This week they were right there at the Supreme Court as the Obamacare law was argued, and their National Review Online article gives you information you won't find anywhere else. Please, educate yourselves on the implications of this horrid law, and how "the dirty little secret of this unconstitutional scheme is that Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of your private insurance dollars":

What Rules Us

Pray that this monstrosity of a law, which is anti-Catholic (it's the basis for the HHS mandate) and anti-life, will go down in flames.

5) If anyone needs a good article clarifying why women cannot be priests, Fr. Dwight Longenecker has a great explanation here:

Why Women Cannot Be Priests

I love how he cuts to the chase:

Those who argue for women’s ordination usually do so using three forms of argumentation: 1. Utilitarianism 2. Sentimentalism  3. Civil Rights. 

The utilitarian argument goes like this: “Jane can do the job just as well–and better than a man. She has a degree in theology. She’s a great preacher. She is a sensitive pastor and a good servant of the Lord. Women have shown that they can do any job as well as a man. We need good priests. These women would be great priests." 

The sentimental argument goes like this, “Sally is such a nice person. She is so loving and funny and kind and good. How can you be so cruel and unkind not to let her be a priest! It is so unfair and so hurtful. Sally’s mother was a pillar of the church and she’s such a good Christian woman. How can you hurt her like this? Don’t you know what pain you’re causing?” 

The civil rights argument is simple: “Women and men are equal. You’re discriminating against women by denying them. By denying them ordination you’re treating them as second class citizens.”

These argument can be part of the greater discussion, but they don’t have much weight in the Catholic Church, because the Catholic Church works from a different premise to start with. We begin with theology and the truth of the theology governs all other decisions. Practical and sentimental and civil rights questions –while important in civil society – are very low in priority when making decisions within the Catholic Church.

Read it all, here.

6) Best news ever! My sister had her long-anticipated surgery on Wednesday, and she has no cancer. I think you can imagine the relief we feel, after the most bizarre and agonizing misdiagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has an average survival rate of four months. I have a depth of compassion for anyone who hears those horrible words that I could not have had otherwise. And that's all I am going to say about that, because I am still processing. Please know how profoundly grateful she and I are for all of your prayers. The love and support has been overwhelming, and the grace of God palpable.


7) We are heading into Holy Week in a matter of days, guys! Oh, how the soul craves Holy Week. Growing up, I didn't really partake in any of the Holy Week liturgies, and now I soak them up like a sponge. Or, like a thirsty man in the desert grabbing hold of a clear, cool glass of water. Pure, clear, simple, life-saving. Does that make any sense? Anyway, I think you know what I mean. And if you don't, then you need to become Catholic and see. ;)

(Yes, I'm publishing on a Thursday, but it's Friday already where Jen, our host, resides!)



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Bloggers unite! Saving one life at a time. *NEW UPDATE!

(All pictures and video removed for privacy.)


You remember Malcolm, right? The orphan we (meaning YOU) brought to the "sizeable grants" page on Reece's Rainbow in a matter of hours when appeals were made last month?

Well, hold onto your hats, because today, the one and only Jen at Conversion Diary (my bff, if you recall) has become an advocate for Malcolm, too! You think that exposure might help the little guy? Rhetorical question.

Carla started this ball rolling (and has a special story to tell about picking today for "Malcolm Monday"), and we are going to get this little man a family before it's too late for him.

Don't faint: It will take around $45,000 to get him all the way home, but I feel certain we can do it!

Especially because you cannot resist this video, now can you?




And to make it more fun…

Since we are changing lives here today, I will be giving away a copy of the book that changed my life (read about that here and here) to someone who helps Malcolm. To be eligible for the giveaway, just donate in any amount to Malcolm's fund (it's tax deductible) or post this appeal on your facebook, blog, twitter, etc. Leave a comment or shoot me an email telling me that you've done one or more of those things, and you'll be eligible for the random drawing!

If you choose to donate, you don't have to tell me the amount, and no one but Reece's Rainbow and PayPal will ever know. No amount is too small, trust me.

Let's watch the numbers in Malcolm's fund swell today -- I'll be spending the day refreshing this page, checking and rechecking the totals like a Jerry Lewis telethon!*

Hang in there, Malcolm. You don't even know you are already a rock star in America! May God keep you safe until you come home.




*Beginning this morning at $7159.22

Brianna has posted for "Malcolm Monday", as have Kara, and JoAnna, Returning to Rome and more! Thank you, all!

UPDATE: Malcolm has hit $10,000+!! You all rock!!! And, still a chance to enter the giveaway! I will keep it open all week.

Second UPDATE: Malcolm is at $13,675.76 and has a firm commitment from a wonderful family (who still need to raise a small fortune)! Praise God, and more information to come….

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Can't get the orphans off my mind….

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. -- James 1:27




As you may know, it all started with Carla and Henry, and then Malcolm.

I became obsessed compelled by Reece's Rainbow and the beautiful special needs orphans who have really thrown me for a loop this Lent. I honestly don't think I will ever be the same, and that's a good thing. I will do whatever I can in my limited power to advocate for these sweet children in their urgent quest to find a forever family.

If you spend even a little bit of time on the RR website, you will get a feel for what these special needs orphans are enduring and the dark futures they face, and if you follow the blogs of the families who have brought their children home, you will witness how powerfully and quickly sacrificial love can transform their lives.

I completely understand if you need to skip the "orphan posts" that I will be compelled to write from time to time, but as for me, I am unable to turn away now.

A few of the children who are in desperate need (click the photos or names for more information):

Brent

Dear, sweet Brent. He has already been transferred to the institution*. Though he's been listed on Reece's Rainbow for three years, no family has come forward to take him home. He needs an earthly savior. Please pass his name and information around until someone realizes they can't live without him as their son. Because he sure as heck cannot live without them.

Heath

And then there is Heath. He is now ten years old, and in the three years since he was transferred from the baby house to the adult institution, he has not seen a book or a toy. His only crime for this imprisonment is that he has Down Syndrome.


And please consider Nicholas, a sweet and quiet boy who cries in his sleep:

And these lovely little girls, who need a home and a mommy before it's too late:

Lizzy

Masha

Carina

There's Lizzy, with a calm personality and hazel eyes; Masha, who captured countless hearts on this ABC News piece when she threw her arms around the reporter and questioned, "Mama?"; and poor, forlorn little Carina, who so needs a family to love her, as she is almost four years old and faces the institution soon.

All the children I've profiled above have what Reece's Rainbow calls "sizeable grants". Meaning, they have thousands in their individual adoption funds already, used to offset the cost of their adoptions. If money is an issue for a potential adoptive family, looking on the sizeable grants page could make all the difference. For example, Danila G. already has over $12,000 in her fund, Preston has $15,000 and Megan has almost $24,000!

I believe with all my heart that if you make the commitment, the money will come.

The biggest obstacle to getting these children home is not lack of funds (there are many creative ways for family and friends and even strangers to raise the money), but rather lack of exposure. People don't know these kids are out there. I didn't!

Fair warning: You may become addicted to RR. Ask my facebook friends. Working together, we were able to raise almost $3,000 for Oliver in eight days time last week, bumping him into "sizeable grants" -- when we started he had only $13! And remember Malcolm, whom Carla brought to our attention? His fund is up to almost $6,700! The work to raise funds for these kids is incredibly joyful.

Many on RR have Down Syndrome (the most loving children you will ever meet!), while others have HIV+ status, cleft lips/palates, cerebral palsy, dwarfish, etc. All with varying degrees of severity, and all of whom can be helped greatly by the American medical system.

I want to do more to help these children, but I'm still thinking of how to proceed. I know that I will profile one or two of them whenever I do a Quick Takes, and I also hope that you wonderful folks will help spread the word through social media. If you feel called, you could link this post (or the RR site) to your facebook, or tweet it out to your followers. If you are able to help financially, you can go to RR and donate to a child's fund (or a family's fund). I welcome any other thoughts and suggestions in the comment box.**

We are the Body of Christ and we are His hands and feet. Let's work like crazy to get these children noticed, and of course, please, please… PRAY for these little ones who are at the mercy of people like you and me!


But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. -- Luke 18:16




*In some Eastern European regions, children spend their younger years at a "baby house" orphanage, but are transferred to an adult mental institution once they turn five -- whether or not they have cognitive delays. They will live the rest of their lives in conditions that I don't want to detail here.

**Kara had a great idea for helping these orphans on Pinterest! Check out what she is doing, here. Anyone with a Pinterest board can do the same. :)

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