The Auction Has Begun!

Hidden Treasures Auctions has begun their February auction.  All the money raised from the donated items will directly benefit Moses, Noah and Jacob who are being adopted by the Archer family.  Aren't they handsome?  Oh, how they need to be at home being loved on rather than simply existing in the orphanage.

The last auction raised $2120 for Lina's adoption.  Her family is just getting ready to travel to meet her this week!  Let's see how much can be raised to make the Archer boys dream homecoming a reality.

The Crew's Bacon Cheeseburgers

My Honey made some awesome burgers today.  He was inspired by watching DDD-Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives about Dad's Kitchen in Sacramento.  Chopped bacon goes down first...

Then a layer of shredded cheddar.  On the original burger at Dad's, they add blue cheese here.

Top with 5 ounces of freshly ground burger.  We ground chuck and London Broil for these burgers.

Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Grill to perfection.

Use the heavenly bacon burger to top a nice salad.  Enjoy!

The verdict? Four out of five stars.  We used a bit too much salt because we forgot to account for the bacon's saltiness and next time I will add another slice of cheese to the top, since the cheesiness was lost amidst the rest of the flavors. Overall, it was excellent!

  

Everybody Can Do Something!

Dear little Abbott needs a family!  

Wishing YOU could adopt an orphan but are not in a place to be able to do it?  Just remember: 

"Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something." 

Pray!  Advocate!  Give!

Don't know where to start?  Click any of these links to find a little one that calls to you.

RR Waiting Children

Micah Six Eight

No Greater Joy Mom
Rachel's Orphan Blog
What It Means To Love

Choose a child.  It's essential to pray for them.  The Lord is the Father of the Fatherless (Ps. 68:5), Him who is not willing that ANY should perish (Matthew 18:14) and assures us that pure and undefiled religion is caring for the widows and orphans in their affliction (James 1:27). He loves these children.  He wants to place them in loving families.  Let's pray them home!

Share their pictures on Facebook and your blogs.  Tell your friends about Reece's Rainbow, blogs you enjoy and the happy stories of children who come home.  Donate items to different fundraisers, give-aways and auctions.  There are many who would love to parent these children but have yet to know of the need!  Be the one who speaks up for those who can not defend themselves! (Proverbs 31:8)

Many time money is the only thing standing in the way of a family taking these children home.  The ransom for a child's life is $20-40,000 in many regions.  It seems an unseemly amount, and yet many spend that much on a vehicle.  God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).  He has the resources.  He miraculously multiplies the $5 and $10 gifts that we, His hands in this world, can give.  I've seem it time and time again as I watch fundraisers and advocacy sites.  It is amazing.  Be generous with your gifts.  Be consistent with them, too.  Remember the orphans.  In Him, the fatherless find mercy (Hosea 14:4) and we are blessed, too.

One Lazy Kitty

Here's a picture of Ohren that I took a few minutes ago. That lazy little kitty has such a hard life! I imagine that he was all worn out from walking out of the bedroom he had been napping in a while before.  Hard work, that moving.

Dear Little Abbott

Playing outside, getting dirty.....

Cuddling and reading books with Mom......

Learning how to fix things with Dad.......

All things five year old boys do naturally.  

I'm sure Abbott would love to do those things, too, but he can't.  He lives in an orphanage in Russia.

What a beautiful little child he is.  I'm heartbroken that he is facing being placed in a mental institution in the next year or so of his life.  I'm praying for him to be snatched up by a family soon and be saved that unimaginable "life".

Will you join me in praying for Abbott?  His grant is sitting at $2001.00.  I am praying that this, too, will rise.  The Lord consistently multiplies the small amounts that are given to these funds.  It's an amazing thing.  He shows Himself mighty over and over in the lives of these children and I truly want Abbott to be chosen this year.

Look here to see Abbott and the other children that are in his orphanage and the guidelines for adopting from his region.  Could YOU be his family?

Micah 6:8

Ah, one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible...meditate on it for a moment.

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8

What does the Lord require of you?  How can you act justly today?  How can you show the mercy that you love?  What can you do to walk humbly with Him?  Have you cracked your Bible today?  Take just a moment with Him, right now.  You'll be glad you did!

A New Year: Looking Backward and Forward

So, it's January 1st and I am reading everyone's resolutions on Facebook. I don't usually make resolutions, since, like almost everyone else, all I do is fail to complete them. Of course, it is good to look over the past year and see what has been accomplished and where improvement can be made.

Last year I canned a lot of food and stocked the pantry fairly well. Of that, I am proud. We could eat off of our shelves for a while if we couldn't get to the store. This year I need to focus on making more meals-in-a-jar and meat based jars. I need to plan and ask my Honey to build a canning pantry so I have more efficient storage of our canned food.

Last year I tried a three-part Heritage Skill.  I wanted to learn to make socks for my homesteading skill in crochet and knit, as well as learn to spin yarn from animal fiber. In two of those skills, I failed. Knitting is foreign to my fingers and I did not invest the time in learning it well. I did, however, find some patterns for crocheted socks. These are able to be fitted to the foot and are easily made, warm and durable. I made a few pairs for myself early last year and they still don't have holes. I am satisfied that, should trouble come, I could keep the Lambies feet warm. I count this goal as partially met. My friend that was going to teach me to spin was unable to due to health problems.  I have shelved this part of the goal to be met in the future sometime.

I haven't decided on a Heritage Skill for this year.  Any suggestions?

Last year, I was blessed to be a small part of Mike and Jamie's adoption of Zeb (RR name~Wilson). What a blessing! This year, I am committing to praying for one specific boy; Abbott. Isn't he a doll? I so hope to see him on the My Family Found Me page soon!

I am also planning on donating to and purchasing items from Hidden Treasures auctions and other fundraisers for the children with Down Syndrome in eastern Europe. Many hands are needed to enable these children to have homes. Each tiny contribution is multiplied time and time again by our powerful Lord and it is beautiful to see!

Last year, I learned about the Primal way-of-eating.  I am enamored.  I do not think of it in evolutionary terms as is written on most of the 'popular' blogs, but as how Noah and his family would have eaten.  Simply meat, veggies and fruits.  Healthy fats.  No (or very little) grains.  I went gluten free three months ago and hope to get closer to 90-100% "Primal" this year.  I feel much better overall, have eliminated joint pain, though kombucha had a lot to do with that, and sugar comas are a thing of the past.  Wellness Mama is a Christian blogger who eats this way and has excellent articles almost daily.  Wheat Belly is a great book about the changes that wheat has undergone in the past century and why it isn't the staff of life we have been told.  I highly recommend it.

What are your plans and goals for the upcoming year?  Go ahead, inspire me!!
http://reecesrainbow.org/8104/abbott-3g

The End of 365

I didn't get to 365 posts this year. I did, however, get to 230. That's more than Grandma may have gotten without the challenge! Have a blessed 2012!