Friday, January 28, 2011
HERE IS WHAT GIVES ME CHILLS and WHAT MAKES ME LAUGH !!
GIVES ME CHILLS ...
Seeing the people in our 147 life step up and make a difference -
1. Michelle (our 147 Fundraising coordinator) adopted a sweet son this past year domestically and is waiting to bring home another son from Uganda.
2. John G. our sweet business consultant from Belmont University has started the adoption process.
3. Sarah our infamous 147 babysitter, errand girl, and prayer warrior just left for a year in Africa to serve orphans !
4. Suzanne and I have amazing school communities - CPA and FRA have really stepped up in helping support 147 and spreading our mission. Watching our children's friends desire to learn more about orphans and adoption is creating a culture of young people that is empowered to CHANGE the world! When a middle schooler or high schooler tells me that they will adopt one day, I am overcome with HOPE for the orphans of the world !!
5. Jan (the most amazing volunteer ever) - worked tirelessly for over a year from her home helping to get all the 147 gear shipped out, counted, packed for events, pulled for adoptive families and so much more ... She had her extended families donate to 147 for her Christmas present !
6. Countless friends have watched our journeys over the last couple of years, hosted 147 parties and are now ADOPTING from China, Ethiopia, Uganda, and domestically.
7. Team 147 (Jeremiah/Michael AAU) team that won National's last year inspired many and we even got a letter from the head of officials saying our team inspired their family to adopt.
8. The countless families we have sat down with at our dinner tables to answer questions about adoption and they are now stepping out in FAITH to bring home a child/children.
9. The sweet Ugandan women we buy the necklaces from pray for US here in America. The work Katie is doing w/ them is so far beyond life changing ... IT IS ETERNAL !!!
10. The difference that Scott and Mike have made traveling with us to speak ... They have been holding DADS ONLY classes and answering REAL QUESTIONS. They are helping other fathers to see that they can be a FATHER to the FATHERLESS.
MAKES ME LAUGH ...
1. The fact that I have 6 kids when my hubby actually sang after the birth of Jeremiah "ONE AND DONE."
2. The fact that sometimes when we meet people for the first time they want to have their picture taken w/ Suzanne and I (cause we are so boringly normal)
3. All the little things that pass through my head of the crazy circumstances that have happened to Suzanne and I with the kids that our sweet husbands know NOTHING about.
4. Joseph talking all day long in a language I can't understand !!!
5. My girls telling me, "Mom, look at my eyes when I am talking" because that is what I say to them about 100 times a day.
6. Sending wrong papers to the wrong teachers and the wrong kid to a birthday party.
7. The moments in the day when my kids all say my MOM at the same time and begin talking as if I can decipher who is saying what and who needs what ???? !!!!!
8. People wandering how we can afford 6 kids - it isn't rocket science - You make work whatever God gives you. WE HAVE NEVER GONE W/OUT !!!
9. The look on Scott's face when people ask us if we are adopting again ... That usually happens while all 6 kids are running around somewhere out of control -- I mean seriously you have to be there for that one !!!
10. When people ask us where the 147 offices are ??? That would be in our vans, in our homes, in our heads, sometimes at Chili's or Wendy's (they have free WIFI) !!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL ...
Seeing the people in our 147 life step up and make a difference -
1. Michelle (our 147 Fundraising coordinator) adopted a sweet son this past year domestically and is waiting to bring home another son from Uganda.
2. John G. our sweet business consultant from Belmont University has started the adoption process.
3. Sarah our infamous 147 babysitter, errand girl, and prayer warrior just left for a year in Africa to serve orphans !
4. Suzanne and I have amazing school communities - CPA and FRA have really stepped up in helping support 147 and spreading our mission. Watching our children's friends desire to learn more about orphans and adoption is creating a culture of young people that is empowered to CHANGE the world! When a middle schooler or high schooler tells me that they will adopt one day, I am overcome with HOPE for the orphans of the world !!
5. Jan (the most amazing volunteer ever) - worked tirelessly for over a year from her home helping to get all the 147 gear shipped out, counted, packed for events, pulled for adoptive families and so much more ... She had her extended families donate to 147 for her Christmas present !
6. Countless friends have watched our journeys over the last couple of years, hosted 147 parties and are now ADOPTING from China, Ethiopia, Uganda, and domestically.
7. Team 147 (Jeremiah/Michael AAU) team that won National's last year inspired many and we even got a letter from the head of officials saying our team inspired their family to adopt.
8. The countless families we have sat down with at our dinner tables to answer questions about adoption and they are now stepping out in FAITH to bring home a child/children.
9. The sweet Ugandan women we buy the necklaces from pray for US here in America. The work Katie is doing w/ them is so far beyond life changing ... IT IS ETERNAL !!!
10. The difference that Scott and Mike have made traveling with us to speak ... They have been holding DADS ONLY classes and answering REAL QUESTIONS. They are helping other fathers to see that they can be a FATHER to the FATHERLESS.
MAKES ME LAUGH ...
1. The fact that I have 6 kids when my hubby actually sang after the birth of Jeremiah "ONE AND DONE."
2. The fact that sometimes when we meet people for the first time they want to have their picture taken w/ Suzanne and I (cause we are so boringly normal)
3. All the little things that pass through my head of the crazy circumstances that have happened to Suzanne and I with the kids that our sweet husbands know NOTHING about.
4. Joseph talking all day long in a language I can't understand !!!
5. My girls telling me, "Mom, look at my eyes when I am talking" because that is what I say to them about 100 times a day.
6. Sending wrong papers to the wrong teachers and the wrong kid to a birthday party.
7. The moments in the day when my kids all say my MOM at the same time and begin talking as if I can decipher who is saying what and who needs what ???? !!!!!
8. People wandering how we can afford 6 kids - it isn't rocket science - You make work whatever God gives you. WE HAVE NEVER GONE W/OUT !!!
9. The look on Scott's face when people ask us if we are adopting again ... That usually happens while all 6 kids are running around somewhere out of control -- I mean seriously you have to be there for that one !!!
10. When people ask us where the 147 offices are ??? That would be in our vans, in our homes, in our heads, sometimes at Chili's or Wendy's (they have free WIFI) !!!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL ...
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21 kind words.:
i love u
i dont know u
but I love u and how you let God work through you
thank you
Loved this!!!! Seriously, I cannot stop talking about orphans and adoption and it is because of finding your & Katie & Suzanne's blogs. I am praying about where to go and what do from here. So thankful that God led me to yall's stories to help show me WHO I AM SUPPOSED TO BE and WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT...
oh and Moe's and Panera have free WiFi too :)
Love the craziness and the honesty in what makes you laugh. I found myself laughing at that list and almost crying at the other one:) My oldest daughter said that she knows for sure that when she gets married that she plans to adopt SEVERAL children from Africa because of the seeds she said that I (aka Mommy) has planted:( Talk about making the cup runneth over!! There is HOPE for the orphans if we keep praying and planting seeds and adopting!!
Love ya for sharing chills and laughs.
Thank you.
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim
LOVE this gwen and even though I found you all after we started the adoption process, you truly have been such an encouragement to us through it and even after, your stories, your love and all the info youve shared with us about orphans have made us even more broken for them and wanting to bring more and more into our home Lord willing! If you ever want to branch off 147 in Ohio and need help I would gladly love to help you! ;0)
This just started my morning off with a big smile!!! A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL who keep 147 running!
I love your heart & I love your friendship. Thank you for keeping The Watson's on your "hit" list :) And Thank you for your support & encouragement in our journey to Colombia :)
♥♥♥ you!
Gwen, we were heading to China...and now we are not. We are heading to Uganda. What a long journey of wandering through wilderness has brough us here but here we are. We have changed programs, countries, mindsets and time frames but we are certain. Uganda. I haven't known anything this deeply in a long time. Just wanted you to know. :)
Oh yes.
I am finding out there is another chilling thing that goes along with large families - whenever any of them is having any problem whatsoever, the default reason is, "Oh, they must not get enough attention at home." I am sure it will also be, "Oh, you know, s/he was ADOPTED."
Guess we should have just given birth to one and stopped, since everyone knows that biological only children are perfect.
Love these!!!
Love the way you, your family, friends, volunteers community are glorifying God DAILY!!!
this just made me smile so huge as i read through and laugh and praise HIM!
offices might also be found at the Y.
love you so!
-the infamous babysitter :)
this just made me smile so huge as i read through and laugh and praise HIM!
offices might also be found at the Y.
love you so!
-the infamous babysitter :)
Love this post, Gwen! I want to hang out with yall!You are So real and so much fun! :)
"One and done"!!! :-) Now, that has to just about make anyone reading this post smile!!!
Best one I've read and heard in a long, long, really.....long time:-)
Go team!!!!
Your heart inspires me & you comments totally crack me up!!!!! :) LOVE your family!!!!!!!!
thanks for the laugh, but most of all for the inspiration. When I met you 2 years ago at the T4A conf in Nashville I was star struck, you and Suzanne are the real deal rockstars!
Gwen,
This totally makes me laugh! I have 4 treasures ages 10-1.5 and we have just begun the process of adopting from Ethiopia. I am so excited I can hardly stand it and so scared to death that I could probably hyperventilate! LOL! I have been reading your blog for over a year and no doubt, your life and faith have helped lead me to believe that we can do this with God's infinite love and provision. Thank you for always keepin it real!
All I can say is you 2 are the :dynamite duo" So proud of you and for your countless hours to help the least of these. Much love to you!!!! LIsa
Okay, this one really made me laugh:-)
"6. Sending wrong papers to the wrong teachers and the wrong kid to a birthday party"
Probably one of my favorite posts ever, Gwen. Love it--love what you do--love your transparency.
From all of us who admire you so, thanks for being real. :)