That is just all kinds of awesome!! Good for you! :) :hurray: :cheers2: :thumbup:

:lol::lol::lol: True! hehehe

Cool! Franklin Graham came and spoke at our church a couple of years ago and he was talking about how great the need is for clean water. He also had some wonderful stories that came out of the shoe boxes as well. One in particular reduced me to an absolute sobbing mess. He told us that when we pack our shoe boxes to include a photo of our family so that the child can see who gave the gift and pray for us. He then told this story about a boy who was in an orphanage Europe (sorry I can't remember the country exactly, but I think it may have been Romania) and one of the women who worked in the orphanage came and brought him the shoe box, but he wouldn't open it. He said that there was nothing in the box that he wanted because all he wanted was parents so he refused to open the box. I think the boy was 11 years old or thereabouts. Well, finally the woman coerced him to open the gift and when he did he just skipped all the goodies in there and went straight for a photo that the couple who had packed the box had put of themselves in there. He just held up the photo and kept staring at it. Well, the couple had put their address on the back of the photo and so with the help of one of the sisters in the orphanage who spoke English, he wrote them a letter. To make a long story short, the couple were unable to conceive a baby and had always wanted a child of their own and they wound up adopting this boy who only wanted parents. I am crying now just typing this because it is just so amazing to me what God can do and how He can connect people from anywhere in the world and give them what they are most longing for. It was such a beautiful thing. So yeah, you all who pack shoe boxes, remember to put your photo in there and your address on the back if you want communication. Who knows what could happen. :)

Good to know! I love my mom, but she wasn't the kind of mom that is portrayed in the Hallmark cards so I always struggle to find one that rings true to how she really is and was. I'm glad for some other options. :) :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Thanks for the hugs, but I wasn't posting that for sympathy, but rather to the OP as a way of saying "I hear ya. Mine too!" I do love hugs though. :) Yeah! You would think with the bazillions of cards that they sell they could come up with some that are more out of the box. :glare:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I go through the same thing every Mother's Day. I have to read so many cards before I can find one that is suitable enough to send to MY mother. My dad abandoned us when I was an infant and was never seen again so fortunately I don't have to send him any cards. Father's Day in our house celebrates my husband, but I have the kids make a homemade card for him. :)

They're fantastic. We do a shoe box for them every year. I have nothing but good things to say about them. :)

:confused: Free beer and a donkey wha??? What were you buying? :tongue_smilie: Ugh, I would be furious with company A too. What the heck!

Awww this makes me want to cry! How exciting! I'm so happy for your dd. You must be experiencing so many emotions right now. :) My heartiest congratulations! :)

I think what Rosie was trying to say is that she was wondering (aloud) if a child in that kind of circumstance would ever equate in their young mind that being bad could bring that kind of reaction from daddy upon themselves. ie. bad man does something bad, daddy beats him and kills him. What happens if I do something bad? It's a legitimate question to be asked I think depending upon how the dad behaves when he does lose his temper at home. If he is a person who yells and gets a little scary then I think Rosie may have a point. Of course none of us can really answer it since we don't know the dad, but I think it's allowed to be asked and wondered about (aloud) in an open forum that is discussing the aspects of this case. :)

Have a wonderful summer! :)

:lurk5: If it doesn't it should! That sounds like an awesome idea! :) My LA program uses the KJV for all Bible quotes, but it isn't specifically language arts taught only using the Bible. I think we have some Mennonite sisters on the boards don't we? I wonder what they use for LA.

:grouphug: :grouphug: I'm so sorry honey. I have nothing constructive to add, but I just wanted to give you a hug and support. :grouphug:

Beautiful pictures! :)

What a cute kitty and what a sweet boy. :)

You look fantastic!! Your hair looks beautiful and very healthy too. :)

hehehe Here you go Nicole. :)

:(

One cart. I don't typically buy everything I need from one single store so I never go over one cart in each store. :)

It sounds lovely!! Maybe I'll find time this summer to crack it open. :) Thanks so much for starting this thread. It's something I've always known I should read, but never have. Thanks for starting the fire under me. :)

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm so sorry Jean. :(

I know! It's appalling. Those poor poor women! :(

:( It breaks my heart how the most vulnerable people on the planet are also the most victimized. :(

:( I thought of Lara Logan when I first read the story I linked. If they are that brazen to do that to a woman journalist who is has connections I shudder to think what the unprotected average Egyptian woman must have to endure. :(

It really is. It's horrible to think that you have to actually have a protest to demand your rights to not be sexually assaulted! I can't even imagine what it's like to live there. :iagree::iagree: Me too.