JOIN US!!!

Project Hopeful presents:Love has a Face: Mascara, a Machete, and One Woman's Miraculous Journey with Jesus in Sudan Join us for a "Coffee House" event. Specialty coffee, and treats will be served as we hear what God is doing for orphans in Sudan through the work of Michelle Perry. Tickets are $25 and seating is limited. Tinley Park December 4th 7-9:30pm

Grab her book Love Has a Face from Amazon and do what you can to join us for this event...I KNOW this will CHANGE and MOTIVATE you...I adore Michele and she is the REAL DEAL....She is LOVE...like you have never seen on this earth...and it is CONTAGIOUS...Learn what it means to be SOLD OUT!!

This event will be my Christmas gift to some of the most cherished people in my life...Search IRIS MINISTRIES...search Michele Perry...and DON'T MISS THIS!!!

Project HOPEFUL...COFFEE!!!

http://www.justlovecoffee.com/Project%20Hopeful ALL your coffee purchases HERE will benefit Project HOPEFUL, help us to HELP children with HIV/AIDS and the families that CHOOSE them! EXCELLENT COFFEE!! Purchase with PURPOSE!! You're gonna buy it anyway!!

I am very excited about this...The coffee is EXCELLENT too...Truly the best I have ever had. This is an AWESOME ministry!!

TIME TO GIVE BACK!!

Hi Past and Present Project H.O.P.E.F.U.L. families and FRIENDS...

I thought you would want to be included in on this. McLane just came back from Georgia last weekend, where she went to deal with the CDC and get clarity on our behalves and further making friends where we need them. We are asking 35 of our past and present families to donate $10. at www.equalityforadoptedchildren.org to cover her expenses. EACH is not a 501c3, so if tax receipts are an issue, Project HOPEFUL can take the donation (SPECIFY "EACH" in the memo online or check) and get it to McLane and will issue receipts.

We are incredibly thankful for what McLane has done for us and on behalf of all adoption issues, but specifically our children with HIV. Please help us to show our appreciation with this small request.

She GREATLY appreciates pictures of your families united! Please take a few moments to send her a thank you and a picture. Her selfless work has made needed change and saved the lives of some of our kids. We can not possibly thank her enough.

Thanks!!

PRAY NOW PLEASE!!!

NEED PRAYER COVERING OVER FACE ACT AND ALL INVOLVED...NOW...This is a LIFE SAVING ACT that will allow our adopted children EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW!!!! PROTECT THE FACTS!!
For further information on the FACTS www.equalityforadoptedchildren.org

Video from Deanna Jones and kids visit!

This is a video that Deanna put together with her TO BE A MOTHER song...that I love with our kids playing the other day....I just LOVE them, and thank GOD for her being my "sister"....not sure what I would do without the more recent additions that the Lord has given me in this later and weird stage of my life...in the last 2 years or so he has given me a whole bunch of sisters that I wouldn't trade for the world...that includes my online ones too :)!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tax--8I-EuY

NEW ADDENDUM FOR CDC TB SCREENING for kids UNDER 10!!

FINALLY!!! SOME victory!!!




2007 Technical Instructions for Tuberculosis Screening and Treatment
Addendum: Instructions for Applicants 10 Years of Age or Younger
September 18, 2009
CDC has developed the following addendum instructions for travel clearances for 10 years of age or younger. The criteria described in these addendum Technical Instructions are based on physiologic aspects of childhood tuberculosis disease and children’s ability to transmit tuberculosis disease. These criteria do not apply to adults or children with tuberculosis disease associated with higher levels of transmissibility.
Applicants 10 years of age or younger who require sputum cultures, regardless of HIV infection status, may travel to the United States immediately after sputum smear analysis (while culture results are pending) if none of the following conditions exist:

Sputum smears are positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB). If the applicant could not provide sputum specimens and gastric aspirates were obtained, positive gastric aspirates for AFB do not prevent travel while culture results are pending.

Chest radiograph findings include―
o
One or more cavities
o
Extensive disease (e.g., particularly if involving both upper lobes)

Respiratory symptoms include forceful and productive cough

Known contact with a person with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) who was infectious at the time of contact
For applicants 10 years of age or younger who travel to the United States while results of cultures are pending, panel physicians should―

Give the applicant a Class B1 TB, Pulmonary classification

Document that culture results are pending on the Chest X-Ray Worksheet (DS 3024 [until September 30, 2009] or DS 3030 [beginning October 1, 2009]

Forward culture results to DGMQ “Quality Assessment Program” via fax at 404-639-4441 so that DGMQ can forward the culture results to the receiving health departments
Panel physicians should provide the DS Forms based on the date of intended travel. If an applicant 10 years of age or younger will not travel until after culture results are to be reported (assuming they are negative), the panel physicians should wait until that time before completing the DS Forms. If the applicant 10 years of age or younger will travel while results of cultures are pending, the panel physician should provide DS Forms while cultures are pending.
Panel physicians should not delay treatment on applicants 10 years of age or younger for whom there is high suspicion of tuberculosis disease and who would benefit from therapy being started prior to departure to the United States. Consistent with other applicants started on tuberculosis treatment prior to travel, if therapy is started for an applicant 10 years of age or younger, the applicant is Class A for tuberculosis. A Class A Waiver petition can be filed so that the waiver petition could be reviewed and the applicant can travel to the United States before completion of
therapy. CDC supports the filing of waiver requests for young children with tuberculosis disease so that the waiver application may be reviewed and adjudicated in a timely manner.

GIFT FROM GOD TODAY!!

This came from my friend Jenny...If you aren't on her mailing list...I strongly encourage you to get on it!! Search the YAHOO GROUP! I SO needed this today as we continue to struggle with some seriously NASTY things...and people that just want to HURT...kill, steal and destroy...

Please pray for my husband as well...rough times here....

May Jenny's update be an encouragement to you today!!




From: jmgroo
To: Jennysupdates@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 6:35:12 AM
Subject: [Jennysupdates] Overwhelmed

I just want to hug the moms that I get emails from that sound something like this, "I am wondering how you do it all because I am feeling very overwhelmed with one (three, five, seven…….whatever) child/ren and I wonder how we could ever adopt or have more when I feel like I'm sinking now."

I have been there. I think I spent an entire decade there. I quit homeschooling before we even officially started when my three oldest boys were 4,2, and baby. I tried to get Brad to make a vow that we would never have any more children and I lived very close to what would be consider the fringe of mental stability. (and a couple times crossed on over to the "other side") In the natural most people would probably have advised me to get a nice part-time job making daisy chains somewhere.

And sometimes I would call those moms I considered to have their act together and try to casually ask how-in-the-world their lives worked. I wouldn't necessarily come right out and admit it was a struggle to get out of bed every morning but I would cushion it in a seemingly innocent question like, "So….we are having company tonight and I was wondering how you entertain when you have several small children coming right behind you undoing all your work?" But what I was really hoping for was an answer like this:

"Oh yes, I too used to struggle and strain. But I read this great book/went to this seminar/found this verse/met this mentor/hired several undocumented workers to help me/or whatever and now I am happy all the day." I usually hung up the phone rather disappointed though because they always seemed so vague. It was just Jesus they would comment. Okay yeah, yeah………Jesus sure……….but really now………what's the trick?

It was a gradual process but through His patient, tender, gentle way He has with mothers Jesus did renew my mind. Overwhelm is a state of mind. I can choose to look at my life as struggle and failure or as righteousness, peace, and JOY. As His love overtakes our fears we get the mind and more of the attitude of Christ. He's not stressed out, burned out, or striving and straining with a crazy to-do list. He said it is all about love so if I have a clean house, my kids are genius smart, I can fit in my skinny jeans, and meals are always frugal yet perfectally healthy………but I am irritable, impatient, unkind, easily offended……..then it's all for nothing.

I don't know that there is a fast-track for learning to grow in love other than the refining fire of real life. Loving the people in front of you. The annoying ones, the messy ones, the ones that bring you to your knees and make you cry out for mercy!
I've learned to trust the leading of the Spirit more. There are seasons and rhythms to our family and I can't try to rush through any of them or rewind any of them. Some seasons are all about pouring out to others. Some rhythms look like treading water and keeping everyone afloat while an urgent situation gets resolved. Sometimes we pull in and regroup and decompress. Some seasons are for starting new things and heading in new directions. There is no perfect schedule, plan, formula, or method.

There is a continual letting go of expectations. Where did we get the ideas we hold so tightly to of what it ("it" being family life, education, religion, or whatever feels out of whack to us at the moment) should look like? Some magazine we read? Some cultural or sub-cultural standard we bought into? Some other person we met and admired? Who said God wanted clones of others? How God uses one family is not necessarily how He wants to use yours. One Spirit……..many parts of the Body.

That Proverbs 31 woman laughed at the days to come. No fear of the future because she knew Who her God was. Those that trust in Him will never be put to shame. Oh maybe someone else will try to shame you, but you don't have to receive that. Don't buy the lie that how you feel right now (depressed, discouraged, worn out, etc.) is how you are always going to feel. God does change things, starting with our hearts and minds.

If your agenda for today feels like it is robbing you of peace scrap it and ask God what His agenda might be for your family today. Maybe He is asking you to let everybody off the hook and focus on viewing those around you through the eyes of love and joy. Let God overhwhelm you today with His goodness.

Love, Jenny

Quotes:

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)