Vivid Memories & Glimmers of Hope...

Have you noticed you could be going about your day just fine, getting ready for the day, thinking about home school and and who knows what else, when out of no where you are off on a distant thought? How does our brain work like that? This morning was like that for me. Off in my own world contemplating other things, when memories of my mom flood my head. Memories and realities of how much I miss her. Past conversations like, " Mom, why did you let me dress like that?" And her laughing hysterically at me saying, "I don't know!", or "I tried to tell you and you insisted."

Memories of a picture she let me take when I was about 12 years old at K-Mart. It was summer, I was in a sundress, and I wanted my picture take by the K-Mart studio in front of a Christmas fire place scene...How ridiculous!! She just laughed and laughed when I mentioned that. Memories of her so beautiful, and memories of her so weak. Memories, of her saying, "Bring that baby home, she needs parents to love her, just do it!" Memories, memories, memories...

Funny how one minute your are fine, the next in tears (its' prob. all this white board talk). It hasn't been 2 years yet since Mom died, sometimes it feels like a thousand, other times like yesterday. Sometimes I feel like I have been robbed and at other times I feel so blessed!

What I do know is that the cliche of "faded memories" hasn't quite happened for me, and I pray it doesn't. But the cliche that we have "glimmers of hope" stands true. Only it is not just a glimmer, in Jesus Christ. It is bright and shining, like the armor of a valiant Prince, only when we look up, it is the King!

Jesus has given us passion to share the story of His love, with those who have never heard about the Love of Jesus Christ. Can you imagine, all the people around the world who die every day from disease, hunger, and war...Can you imagine that they don't even have a glimmer of hope. They die in their sin, lost with no hope of uniting with a Savior, no hope of uniting with a loved one.

I am so thankful that we have the true hope of Christ, hope and a message that is not meant to be contained. Hope that needs to be SHOUTED to all the nations! Hope that cries out in the face of injustice, Hope that feeds the starving and gives water to the thirsty! Hope that visits prisoners, comforts widows and parents orphans. Hope for the hopeless. Hope that RISKS ALL, for a God that is so worthy!

Random Update...

I noticed on my friends blog the other day, she did "catch up" updates! That is what I will do today. Random pictures and updates on the Thieles...Enjoy.

I took care of my mom who died from ALS. She couldn't talk or move, just nod yes, blink and smile. I created a board to help her communicate with us, as ALS paralyzes your body, but not your brain. We would hold the board and help her spell words. We would ask her if the letter was in Row 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. When we would get to the row she wanted she would nod or blink. Then we would ask her what letter, A, B, C, D or E (according to that row), etc. It was a very slow and frustrating process for her, because her brain was fast and we were slow. We invented other columns too. Nouns and Verbs, to bypass the long spelling process. At any rate, I have kept this board since my mom has died almost two years. My son came into my office and made a comment about this board the other day, he said, "You still have this mom?" I thought yeah...funny how we hold on to things. Later that day I went to gather some school supplies and stopped to buy a white board...SILLY! I couldn't justify spending $25 on a white board when I had a perfectly good one at home...and I could send that money to Africa, so I passed it up determined to erase the board when I got home and move on. Once I got home, I had my pitty party and cried over the loss of one more thing of my mom's, AND.... I use permanent marker to write on the board...there was NO way it was coming off. I scrubbed, used simple green, orange oil, soap and my finger nail... All that sorrow and getting ready for NOTHING. The board is still sitting in my office but I am glad the Lord took me through the process of letting go.

Little Lizzy Lizard made way into our house...Chris

Coral...apprehensive (like her mom, how will we live in Africa?)

Cailee will help us, she isn't afraid of anything..

Cyilea is unmoved too...

Little Chloe

Lizzy Herself, How do I know it's a girl you ask...

Chris played basket ball this summer...he made one point and was great on defence!

Bryan played softball this summer...he made 5 home runs and made boo boo on his leg...

Women's leadership retreat, in Flagstaff AZ...

Beautiful flowers on the side of the road

Julie, Lisa and I, roomys...

Our retreat was "Shaped to Serve," these are our vessels...

Cyilea loves to have her bible out when we all have ours, so Amy decided to buy her her own. She was so excited to have it. She carried it around with her and then finally fell asleep on it. She was soo...cute.

Moving Right Along...

I thought I would take a minute to update you on our adoption process. There has been a long silence while we have be waiting and waiting and waiting. BUT...just today our dossier arrived in Ethiopia!! What exactly that means, I don't know. I do know however, it will be translated into Amharic, that is about a two week process. As we wait for translation, we also wait for a referral. A referral is the medical documents on all three of our children! Once those are in the US and signed, and our documents are translated, THEN...we get a court date. A liaison stands in our place at court and when that is finalized about a month later we travel to our children!

Today we applied for Cadenn's passport as we hope to take him with us to Ethiopia. He has such a heart for Africa, we want him to be able to see and touch and smell with his own two eyes.

There are several thing you could pray for today and every day while we wait.
Please Pray For:

~Our children in Ethiopia & for protection while they are there.
~Our children's health and that there are no changes that affect their paperwork.
~The other children around the world in desperate need of food, water, love and Jesus.
~Protection over Bryan and me, and our children here.
~The $10,000 we need plus travel expenses.
~The paperwork and that the process goes smoothly.
~God's timing.
~That the Lord would be glorified and the Gospel spread.
~For the children's older brother and the losses he will endure.


My heart aches and longs to be in Ethiopia with our children and the other children there. I don't know just how we will only take three and leave the rest. I am praying we get to spend a couple of days before we meet our children, to travel around Ethiopia and serve the people and orphanages.

Please pray for me as I have never experienced such anguish and grief concerning the poor, orphans, widows, and oppressed. I have been in tears as the Lord has been peeling off layers of blindness to those who go without as we have so much and are completely stuffed full, physically and spiritually. I know that He wants to use this to bring Him glory, I am just not sure how.

I will keep you posted on what's next...just as soon as I find out!! Blessings to you friends!