"Three Hearts" Winners!

The winners of the "Three Hearts" DVD from the Children's Heart Project with Samaritan's Purse are:

Susan H. (so glad to hear from you!)
Karen (you are going to LOVE this, but it will be difficult to watch at some points)
Laura F. (would love to catch up)
saspinall (you are right, you may have to sit on this movie for a bit before watching it, but you won't be disappointed)

If you haven't sent me your mailing address yet, just leave a comment for me here and I won't publish it.  Samaritan's Purse will mail you the DVDs.  Thanks so much for participating in the giveaway!

Giveaway

Check the post below for a giveaway.  I am moderating comments, so it may take a few days for it to appear, but I will definitely get to them!

If you want to leave me a way to get in touch with you (email) so we can send you a DVD, just let me know and I won't publish it.

Three Hearts

Many of you know my son, Sam, has Brugada Syndrome, an arrhythmia of the heart.  If you haven't read his story, you can find it on the sidebar.  Sam's particular heart issue is an electrical one, which means that no surgery to his actual heart can fix the problem, not even a heart transplant.  He was born with one heart and he will die with the same.

However, he was given a chance to live when his cardiologist strongly suggested implanting a defibrillator at the tender age of 10 months-old.  

Now, four years later, he lives a typical five year-old's life.  He climbs trees, plays soccer, goes to school, reads books and loves his family and friends.  He has even chosen to believe in Jesus as his Savior and will be baptized on Easter morning.  He lives because of God's hand in his little life.  We are stronger because of the path the Lord has chosen for us to walk.  I have friends I would never have made were it not for this difficult, arduous and wonderful road in our lives.  And, in everything I do, I give the honor and glory back to the Lord for leading us in times that I thought I could never live through.  

I was recently asked to review a new movie from the Samaritan's Purse Children's Heart Project.  CHP helps provide children, in countries where medical care is not advanced, the opportunity to receive life-saving heart surgeries.  As you know, I am very passionate about educating the public concerning children's heart conditions, so I gladly accepted.  

My husband warned me before I watched it though.  He told me when they have shown bits and pieces of the movie during their devotional time at Samaritan's Purse, he has had to get up and walk out on more than one occasion.  It is just so hard to remember what Sam went through and think about any precious child going through something similar.

"Three Hearts" follows three Mongolian children, and their mothers, who come to the United States through Children's Heart Project to receive surgeries.  Two of the children, one is three years-old and the other 16, live in very rural areas of Mongolia, while the third who is 18 years-old, lives in Ulaanbaatar.  They are filtered, for lack of a better word, through a pediatric cardiologist at the Maternal & Child Hospital in Ulaanbaatar as at risk for sudden death.  I was surprised when I learned that there are 200 children currently on the waiting list for the Children's Heart Project.  Honestly, I can't even imagine having to be the one who decides which children will make the final cut.  

The movie was beautifully made.  I enjoyed watching each of these families and their progression through this difficult season in their lives. I loved hearing that Children's Heart Project not only chooses the children carefully, but also the host families in America as well.  And, to go a step further, they choose a strong church associated with the host families.  It's not just the host families, but the church family who embrace these children and their mothers.  It's a true picture of God's family and how we are called to meet the needs of others.  I was impressed, though through tears, that CHP chose to include (and honor) the memory of a little girl who did not make it after her surgery.  

I will warn you, there are a few graphic scenes in the operating room.  My children watched some of the movie with me and Sam was moved to tears on more than one occasion (they did not watch the graphic scenes), but was brought to laughter as well.  His favorite scene was watching Toggie, the three year-old pictured above, playing with running water in Texas.  She lives in the South Gobi desert, so running water was a new and wondrous miracle for her.  She kept splashing her face with it, giggling all the while.  The scene reminded me of the innocence of this child; she has a life-threatening heart condition and still sees the newness in everything around her AND enjoys it.  I can learn a lesson or two from her.

If you would like to see this movie too, I'll be giving away five copies.  Just leave me a comment and let me know why this subject is important to you or why you are interested in seeing the movie.  The giveaway will end on March 20th at midnight and I'll announce the winners on my blog on the 21st.

Follow Children's Heart Project on Facebook

Watch the trailer 

Buy a copy

Grafting

We have this old Weeping Willow in our yard.  I have always thought willow trees were beautiful - the way they droop down and create a curtain of beauty surrounding the trunk.  I've seen them get so weighed down with snow and ice that they fall, but I know the one we have in our yard has already withstood many a harsh winter, even since we moved in.

As my children were climbing in the tree recently, I noticed that there are parts that have grown into other parts.   I felt like the Lord spoke directly to my heart - like in Romans 11.

16...if the root is holy, the branches are too. ¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

Although I know that Paul was speaking to the Jews, I felt like their situation could certainly apply in our life.  I looked at this tree, this branch that was "eaten up", as my children say, by the tree and I realized that as much as I am that way in God's family, Carolina is that way in our immediate family.  Ephesians 1:5-6 says, "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."


Once we are adopted into His family, we are part of it and if we try to remove ourselves it will leave great damage, like trying to remove a toe or an arm.  Carolina has been adopted into our family and is a permanent member.  Just as this branch on our willow tree has been grafted into the trunk, Carolina has been grated into our family and is an important part of our body. The root is rich and holy.  

This tree is an important reminder of God's love for her and for me (and His children).  

Just for Kicks

The kids and I have enjoyed watching The Pioneer Woman's new TV show on the Food Network lately.  I never really followed her blog (I still don't...not really), but my BFF gave me her cookbook for my birthday a couple years ago and I have seriously enjoyed everything I have made of hers.  So, when the children saw this broccoli and cheese soup, they immediately wanted to make it and make it NOW!

Since I normally don't cater to their every whim, I went grocery shopping that day but didn't actually make it until a couple days later.  I have to say, this recipe was a hit.  Not only was it delicious, but we also got to EAT our bowls.  What child doesn't enjoy something like that?  And I didn't just get a bread bowl, I bought pretzel hamburger buns that we turned into bowls.  The perfect size for little bellies (maybe a little too much, but Carolina didn't seem to think so) and a lovely compliment to the creamy soup.  I also added another cup of cheese and added some local ham that I had sauteed a little.

In the words of Yo Gabba Gabba, "Try it, you'll like it."

Yum.

Life Changes

Well, life changes because our kids are growing up too fast.  I find that I have three children who are absolutely refusing to stop growing.  No matter how many times I stomp my feet, ball up my fists and demand that they stop growing, they refuse to obey me.

So, I just have to roll with the punches, get out the next sized bin of clothes from the attic, buy new shoes that may or may not fit two months from now and enjoy the scenery as everything changes around me.  I miss my babies, but I am really enjoying this new stage of life we are in.

Just the other day, I taught Sam to throw a Frisbee and now he can throw it better than I can.  We spent about an hour just throwing it back and forth in the yard on a beautiful afternoon.

Then the weekend came and he grew up more.  He sat down to breakfast and I asked him how his loose tooth was doing.  He said it was fine, pulled his bottom lip down to show me and it was gone.  Not only had he lost his first tooth, but he had, in fact, swallowed it as well.  Good times good times.

And Carolina?  I can't even begin to describe the amazing changes I see in my only daughter.  She is so verbal now, people who haven't seen her in a while don't recognize her. She's taller and  has a little less pudge around her belly (where's my baby fat going???).  She is an amazing big sister, very responsible, organized (well, when she wants to be) and extremely loving.  She has a hysterical sense of humor too.  Just today the children were playing a little game where I would call out an animal and they would run to me acting like that animal.  She got so tickled she literally could not lift her arms up and could barely move across the floor.  She got Sam and Hudson laughing so hard they were in a similar predicament.  What an angel.

Then there's Hudson.  Not so verbal, but extremely bright, very obedient, physical, and, well, a bit melodramatic at times.  He may not look like me, but he certainly has my personality traits.  He's a serious little guy, but when he finds something funny, it is consistently funny.  He is only ticklish when he chooses to be.  He loves being outside, especially in the snow.  We had three inches of snow this morning and I let the children leave the house just before me while I grabbed my bag so we could run to the pediatrician's office.  Thirty seconds after they were outside, Hudson was already halfway up a steep hill IN THE SNOW headed for a sled.  He didn't care that he had snow on his face, mittens, pants - no, that didn't matter.  What mattered was that he was in it, touching it, feeling it, playing in it.  You should have seen the tantrum that ensued when I tried to strap him into his car seat afterwards.  On second thought, I'm glad that wasn't too public.


All that to say, things are changing.  Life is changing.  But we are enjoying it.  Every moment.