Unsatisfied

My new blog is being designed now so it will only be another week or so and I will move this discussion to that blog and keep this one about Operation Giggle stuff only but until then...


I have a recipe for you!

How to become completely unsatisfied with living under God's expectation level for you:

1. You must be saved for this to even matter. If you are great, if not email me I have an amazing (but true) story about the God of this universe leaving his throne to save you. I would love to share what his salvation did for me.

2. Watch God show up and show out in some unbelievable way (like providing Christmas to 130 children through a little blog with a silly name.)

3. Meet some awesome spirit-filled men and women along the way, allow them to encourage you and ask God to help you encourage them. Watch God be BIG in their lives.

4. Challenge yourself to read at least one of these AWESOME blogs....

http://the30dayjourneyforhope.blogspot.com/
http://theheidaway.blogspot.com/
http://blessingsfromethiopia.blogspot.com/

or

http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/
http://newdayfosterhome.blogspot.com/
http://adamadiaries.blogspot.com/
oh this could last all day...I've got to stop.

5. Be a member of a spirit-filled church with a Pastor who loves God more than he loves the approval of men.

6. Pick up a copy of Crazy Love and READ IT!

7. Fall in love with a former orphan who just happens to be your best friend’s daughter (which makes her your niece).

8. It also helps to be married to a wonderful Godly man who is going through it all with you but more times than not you have to pray that God will help his heart catch up with yours...after all men are formed and women are fashioned...but that's for another day.

All of these things happening over a few months will make you COMPLETLY and TOTALY sick of yourself. It will make you realize how BIG God is and how he intends us to leave a mark on this world...not just tip-toe through it while doing your best to be comfortable.

Now for a (long) quote from Crazy Love....

"If one hundred people represented the world's population, fifty-three of those would live on less than $2 a day. Do you realize that if you make $4000 a month, you automatically make one hundred times more than the average person on this planet? Simply by purchasing this book (Crazy Love) you spent what a majority of people in the world will make in a week's time.

Which is more messed up-that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we're rich? That on any given day we might flippantly call ourselves "broke" or "poor"? We are neither of those things. We are rich. Filthy rich."

I will warn you. Being unsatisfied with mediocrity doesn't feel good. It makes you second guess that $5 cup of coffee and hate that gas guzzling car you drive. It makes you want to spend nothing and give everything but it's not until we realize how much excess is around us that we can stop the financial bleeding and begin to align ourselves to his purpose. Please pray for my family as we go through this change...we want to be transformed in HIS true image. Not the image we have of him.

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

MY LIFE IS NOT MY OWN!

I swear I have been taught more by women I may never meet than I have by Sunday School teachers that taught me for a dozen years. I am in a place right now that I am not ready to talk about but I do know my life is not my own...

Merry Christmas!

Well it's 6:33 a.m. here in TN but I just had to get up to see the pictures Carrie was sending me and it was well worth it. I thought I would go ahead and post them just because I know there are other mommies and daddies and sponsors out their dying for a glimpse of their little one this morning. So I am going to post as a slideshow. If you want a picture emailed to you email me and I will be glad to send you a copy!


First I wanted to share some of Carrie's email:

Well, Christmas morning was a big success! The gifts were amazing - please thank everyone for us. It's clear a lot of thought and love went into picking out the presents. We got at least one picture of every child with their gifts; I'm sorry there aren't more, but it was so chaotic and hard to take pictures of 50 children all at once! Please tell all of your sponsors to watch the foster home's website in the coming days, because we're working on some scrapbooks, so you might be able to see more pictures of your sponsored children there.


...in the end you should have at least one picture of each child except the following little ones who were in the hospital and will get their presents later:


Catherine
Cora
Hong Nan
Jennifer

And the Hohhot foster children. We'll do our best to take the presents and get them to those children, but in the last month, some of the children who were in our program no longer are... so, they might not go to the original child. But, we'll do our best to pass out the gifts and get pictures...

... We hope you enjoy the pictures... please share them with the sponsors and pass on our appreciation. Operation Giggle was a HUGE success, and I hope this becomes a tradition!

I agree that this should become a tradition but I now have a better understanding of how to do it. So I will start Operation Giggle Christmas 2010 in September. But continue to check back because I plan on doing some other things throughout the year. Also I want to remind you that if you see some other little sweetie opening a gift you bought for a specific child it might be because your gift weighed thirty pounds and we had to break it up :) I know, I know, it is hard to stop buying for them once you start...so we did send a large box of extras to Carrie so they can bless the new little one's as they arrive. Thank You again for all of your help! But most of all PRAISE GOD for working the crooked places out and allowing all of this to happen. God Bless You All and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Now what you've all been waiting for...let the giggling begin...

The gifts are under the trees!!!

I just got some information I wanted to share with everyone..

They are having Christmas in 3 different places at the foster home tomorrow morning, and they are going to do their best to get pictures of all the children opening presents so that each OG sponsor family can have at least one picture of their child enjoying the gifts.

However, they are not going to be able to get the presents to Hohhot Foster children for at least another month. So those pictures will be delayed.

Here are some pictures of the trees arround the foster home. I will post more pictures as soon as I have them. God Bless You All!

By the way THANK YOU CARRIE for keeping us up to date!

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

Update (the updated version...lol)

So Carrie and the New Day Group now has the gifts but they did have to pay about $138 in extra customs charges..ugh! We are so glad the gifts are there safely. Please check back for updates!


In Christ Alone,
Sherri

P.S. Please say a prayer for me I have Pneumonia and I feel it! Thanks Guys!

I have had a couple of emails about this...I have had one donation...if you want to donate to be able to cover this you can. I will forward to Carrie. Thanks

Int'l shipment release=Yippee Jesus!

They released it and it will be delivered today (will tonight while we sleep). So the first four boxes are through. Now we just have to get the last two through. Please continue to pray!!

Thank You God!

Sherri

Clearance delay=Please Pray UPDATE

Ok so I spoke to Fed Ex and they are wanting to know EXACTLY what's in the boxes...like we have 8 dolls and 10 trucks...ect. Of course we don't have that information. So we are working with FedEx to resolve this. Please pray that God steps in and pushes both shipments through.

Dear Heavenly Father,
You know who holds the key to these gifts getting to China. Please soften their hearts and allow all of the gifts to make it through. We trust you completly! We are just waiting to hear that you have shown up and shown out. In Jesus name we ask all of this!Amen!

Anyone know what those words mean when you are shipping something to China????? That is what the FedEx website said this morning....It's in Beijing but there is a clearance delay. Please pray this clears up and that the items are delivered safe and sound tomorrow.

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

IT'S ALL MAILED!

I got the last of the gifts mailed this morning! We spent right at $975 for shipping, boxes, and shipping supplies ($903 in shipping alone!!). That means I have $100.00 to send to the Milk Money Program we will make this donation on Thursday. I just want to leave it open for a few days to make sure no one else had a donation that they would like to add to our $100.00 if you want to donate to the Milk Program please feel free to do so before Thursday. Thank you all so much for everything! Looking forward to sitting back and watching these gifts be opened now!

Have a great weekend!

Sherri

A Happy Post from one Tired, Sick, and Blessed Girl!

So I am proud to say 4 of the 5 boxes have been mailed. Thanks to a very generous shipping company employee we were able to send 4 boxes for $480.00! We still have one more box that we just could not fit into my car to take to Nashville with us but we think we should be able to mail it for between $200-$300. I am going to mail it this morning. So with us having to spend under $800 on shipping we will have at least $200 for the Milk Money Program!!! So thankful for that!! The first batch of gifts is set to arrive next Thursday. Please pray that God keeps all of the gifts in tact and that they pass customs and are delivered unharmed. We had some issues with the Postal Code so pray that everything makes it to the right place!

I want to say a big THANK YOU to my best friend Tara she drove me and the boxes to Nashville. I was sick and there is no way I could have drove myself. We didn't get back till somewhere around 1:30 this morning. Sorry "L" but I didn't think L'il Miss and the boys or the Pres for that matter would want you out running the roads at midnight but Tara and I are planning a road trip just for fun after the first of the year and we will call you then for sure!!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. As I said I am sick...couging ears hurting...ect...ect so I am going to ship a package, get a shot and go to bed!!!

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

A giveaway, shipping news, a roadtrip, and other things on my mind right now!

Hi guys! If you have a heart for Africa go visit http://www.mattandmandi.blogspot.com/ she has an awesome giveaway today! She just won a giveaway here at Operation Giggle today also for posting about our cause! I know that we would have never been able to do it without those of you who posted about our needs! Thank You all!!!

Also I have great news about shipping. We have worked it out and we will be shipping tomorrow (from Nashville) and we will be able to ship for aprox $500-$600 PRAISE GOD! Please remember Tara and I in prayer as we make the trip to Nashville tomorrow night to take all of the toys.

Have a great weekend!!!

Sherri

Winners

I have been meaning to annouce the winners of  the drawing for the dresses and wall art.

Dress #1 goes to: Nicole at http://journeytoourlittleladybug.blogspot.com/

Dress #2 goes to Mandi at http://mattmandi.blogspot.com/




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

And last but no least the wall art goes to Heather at http://keepingupwith5.blogspot.com/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Congratulations ladies! And a big THANK YOU to everyone who blogged about Operation Giggle!!
If you were a winner email me at sdrgodsgirl@yahoo.com to find out how to claim your prize!!


In Christ Alone,

Sherri

Calling all Prayer Warriors

Ok so we have been wrapping and packing and unpacking and rearranging and repacking since Sunday.

It is going to take at least 4 20x20 boxes if not 5 to ship this stuff....that is around $1800-$2100 in shipping costs!

Well we might have an answer...a friend of a friend thinks he may be able to get us a discount. A BIG discount. So please pray this works out!!!!

Thanks!

Sherri

Adoption

I am copying this from another blog....http://theheidaway.blogspot.com/2008/03/reality.html

But it is exactly how I feel about adoption...I know others feel the same!

Imagine a building with many windows and one door. Inside that building are orphans of every race, suffering in every color, pain of every degree. You KNOW what is in there. Now imagine that every day thousands of people walk right past that building. Some are too focused on their own lives to even take a peek in the windows. Some take a peek, can't bear the pain that the sight brings to surface in their own hearts, and then shield their eyes and continue on their way. Some peer inside, shed some tears, and feel a bit of compassion for the ones suffering. Then some, a few, actually step inside the building. They engage with the hurting souls. They look into the eyes of these children and mothers and fathers and see their own. Their own flesh and blood. And then they do something about it. Because, once you have engaged with the suffering, you can't NOT do something. You can't go back to your suburban American capitalistic dream and thank the Good Lord for blessing you with your comforts, food, wealth, and health. You can't do it. You shudder and realize, Woe to me for not seeing this suffering before. For not seeing these souls as my own. For not doing unto others as we would have done unto us. As we would want done unto our own white children.

I pray that God uses that blog to reach so many people that it amazes the author. I know it reached me.

New Update!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! We got snow here in TN today so it has been a great day!

I have all of the gifts except for 4 of them. If I don't get those today I will have to look for other sponsors locally or take some of our money to sponsor these children.

I also noticed today that the following names had been added to the New Day Home Page however they were not showing up under new arrivals and I haven't seen them until today:

Matthias (he looks familiar does anyone know if this is just a name change?)
Sunny
Li Yang
Feng NV
Li Qun
Caroline
Karly
Brittany
Jonah

I will be emailing Carrie about these but I am afraid these are new children without sponsors. If you live in the area and would be willing to buy gifts for one of these children please email me. If you live somewhere else but you want to give extra money to buy for these children please let me know. Even if we spend only $20 a child that is almost $200. Our total right now is around $1000. If Shipping (and buying the boxes only costs $850.00 that means we have between $150-$200 which would mean that all the extra money would go to buying gifts not Milk Money. Please pray about this. It didn't surprise my God when I saw these names I am sure he has a plan. Part of that plan may be evening out what was bought for the other children because we had several boxes that weighed WAY more than 3lbs....I love you people!

Trusting God to get us through this home strech!!!

Sherri

Strike Lord Strike!

Truth is truth, and in the end God, like lightening, is looking for a conduit. ~Unknown


I read that today. I re-read it. I let it sink in and then I came straight here to post.

God is like lightening and he is looking for a conduit...

The definition for conduit is: means by which something is transmitted.

Hmmm so that means God is looking for a means to transmit himself to this world. You know that is exactly what happened with Operation Giggle. I said "God I want to do something awesome for these kids but I can't do it on my own. I don't have enough. Not enough money, not enough knowledge, not enough help, not enough strength, not enough power." It's like He said..."oh you are willing but don't have enough...well guess what...I'M ENOUGH!" That's all it took...I posted a blog and BOOM the lightening of God conducted himself through not only me but all of you and these 130 children were shown love. It's amazing. It's outstanding. It's exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or even think...HOW? well, according to the POWER that works in me...(remember I'm not enough so...) that POWER is JESUS CHRIST! *This is Ephesians 3:20 if you didn't know* That POWER is what saved me, it's what has kept me since I was saved at 13 years old it's the POWER I use to get up in the morning and the POWER I use to be a mother, wife, employee, sister, friend, daughter, ect, ect, ect. HIS POWER IS ENOUGH!

So now that we have that settled I feel led to tell you about the next phase of my life that I will have to trust in his POWER to take care of. My husband and I sent in our preliminary adoption application on December 1st. I know that God has led us to this place. I feel his POWER all over me when I look at the faces of those without a home. I know that God has a plan...A GREAT PLAN...full of POWER to get this adoption done. But I don't have a plan. I have no clue how to raise the $25,000-$30,000 that it will take. I have no sewing ability, I can't make bows...I blog, I scrapbook, I teach, I preach, I organize, I work...those are the things I do...so I have no clue how God will turn those things into the money we need but here is the amazing thing...it's not about what I do. It's about what HE does, and HE PROVIDES, HE LOVES, HE CARES, HE IS IN CONTROL, and of course HIS POWER is enough for whatever I go through. So God you are the lightening...we are standing here in the middle of this new place with our arms extended in praise we are just waiting on you to strike. Please pray for our family as we take this journey. God Bless You All!

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

Praise God for He is good and worthy of our praise!

I have GREAT news!!! I spoke with F*dEx today about shipping our gifts. After looking at the gifts I am convinced that we just don't need two pallets to get it all there. So I talked to a great guy who helped me out and he said if we can fit all of the gifts in two 24 by 24 boxes (which I think we can 31 gifts in each box) it will only cost us $840.20 to ship...Plus the cost of the boxes and shipping supplies...this means we should be able to ship for around $900! We were counting on somewhere between $1300 and $1500! So we should be able to send the milk program between $400 and $600! Praise God!


Thank you all so much for praying over this need! Please plan to attend the party on Sunday at Fairview to wrap and prepare these gifts for shipping. We need all of the help we can get! I will be taking the boxes to ship them on Monday morning and I will be posting the final shipping total here along with how much we were able to send for the Milk Money program. Please be praying that all of those gifts will fit into the boxes...I know the same God that made a few fish and a little bread feed over 5000 can make 31 presents fit into a 24x24 box! I have no doubt that God's hand of provision and protection has been on top of this effort this entire time. I have had such a wonderful time on this journey. I have made friends that I know will last a life time and I am a little sad to see it end. But I am not so sure that it has to end at all...after all Valentines Day is in February...I know that those cuties could use a little extra love...but lets just get Christmas taken care of first!

By the way I still have a few people who haven't sent me their gift yet...just 3 or 4 but please get those gifts over-nighted to me today! I will be forced to go and purchase gifts using some of our funds that I would like to send for Milk Money if I don't have them by Saturday at lunch...I don't want to do that but I can't let any little cuties go without gifts!

Thank you all so much for your help but most of all THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER for all of your good gifts in my life!!

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

Oh how He loves us!

He is jealous for me

Love's like a hurricane,

I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of

His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory

and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.

Oh, how He loves us so

Oh, how He loves us

How He loves us so.

(x2)

Yeah, He loves us

Oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves.

(x2)

We are His portion and

He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption

by the grace in His eyes

If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking

So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns

violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves us

OH, how He loves

(x2)

Yeah, He loves us

Oh, how He loves us

Whoa, how He loves us

Whoa, how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us

He loves us

He loves us

He loves.

Yeah, He loves us

Whoa, how He loves us

Whoa, how He loves us

Whoa, how He loves

He loves us,

Whoa, how He loves us

Whoa, how He loves us

Whoa, how He loves

This is my new favorite song. You can search for it on You Tube. It's great. I love the picture...notice it has 5 trees...