My Own Little World

I'm sure you have heard Matthew West's song, My Own Little World. But have you really listened to the words? The words that say "Father, break my heart for what breaks Yours"? Do you know what those words are meaning? Sure I listen to music. But do I always listen to the words or pay attention to what the songs mean? No, hardly ever. Some songs I am surprised by what the words are saying as they are so amazing and inspiring and other times I am shocked at how terrible they are. Even though they have a good beat doesn't mean it has good things to be singing and praising about. Today's music is disgusting. They are about terrible things that I don't want to be singing about. They have a good beat and they get stuck in my head and I find myself singing them.

Anyways, back to the Matthew West song. In it it says "break my heart for what breaks Yours". To me that is saying that so many things make God sad. The things He sees going on in the world. For example, the orphans whom are being so mistreated and the people who are living on their streets. The video of this song is focusing on people who are homeless. But I can relate to it by how my heart breaks for orphans. "Break my heart for what breaks Yours," He breaks my heart for the orphans because it breaks his heart. "That my own little world is not about me" That is a hard one for most people to understand, including me. It is hard for people to realize that the world is not about them. There are 7 billion other people on this earth. Too many don't have what I have. I am very fortunate to have what I have.

All of the orphans who have next to nothing, all of the people living in third world countries have next to nothing. I have so much stuff that I do not NEED but want or would like to have. I am very grateful for what I have. Operation Christmas Child is starting up again. If you don't know, Operation Christmas Child has volunteers everywhere who fill up shoe boxes with toys, drawing/coloring stuff, toothbrushes, socks, gloves, hats, and many more. Then they mail them off for orphans everywhere. Imagine how thankful they are to receive these.  They are thankful for things that we are accustom to having. We are so used to having socks on our feet every day and being able to brush our teeth twice a day. This year take the time to buy stuff for a shoebox to make a Child's Christmas dream come true!

In MY own little world, God breaks my heart for mistreated orphans with disabilities. I am coming to the realization that the world is NOT about me. I know less than 200 people out of the 7 billion people whom I share the earth with. God is showing me what is in the bigger picture of my world. The orphans, how many people there actually are who are affected by job loss, disablities, losing their houses. It is happening everywhere!!!! All over the whole entire WORLD. These things are happening all day every day!!!!

The chorus of this song sings
"What if there's a bigger picture?
What if I'm missing out?
What if there's a greater purpose?
I could be living right now
Outside my own little world"


What if there is a bigger picture?
What if I am missing out?
What if there is a greater purpose?
And I am living in my own bubble with my few friends.


Slowly, my eyes are being opened to the bigger picture, slowing I am seeing what I have been missing out on, slowly I am seeing what my greater purpose is, and I am slowly getting out of my bubble to reach out to all of the other people here on earth with me. But it is all slowly happening. In God's timing. NOT mine. '


Good night, God Bless,
Think about this tonight.
Dakota

SO Many Orphans

Every time I go on the Reece's Rainbow website there are more orphans. Whether I am on the Newly Listed page or any other page, there are always kids I have never seen or noticed before. It is nothing new to them to not be seen or noticed though. These children have grown accustom to being left alone for day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. They don't even know what it is like to be loved. Just simply given a kiss on the forehead when they are sleeping or a hug before school. They don't know how it feels. They may never even know how it feels.

Many of these kids will die in these terrible orphanages. Like Monet, Kyle, Connor, Declan and many many many more. God took them home before their family found them. Or after they found them but before they could rescue them.

Look at this little beauty. Kyra. She is one of the Newly Listed children. I accidentally clicked on that page today. The first face I saw was Kyra's. The first thing I noticed was how skinny she was. She is basically just skin and bones.

Kyra

What about all of the kids that have been transferred or are facing transfer? The children who are already in institutions will continue to live their short, bedridden life there. The children whom are facing transfer chances are getting slimmer and slimmer of finding a family. Each day that passes is one less day that they have to find a family and one more day they have of being unloved without a mommy and daddy.

Wendy has already been transferred. She was transferred before she was seven years young. But there is still hope for this beauty. She can still be adopted. She can still be rescued from living the rest of her life in a bed by her self. But each day she goes her chances get slimmer and slimmer. She needs a family. And Fast! 

Wendy

Sheppard has until June 2014. He will turn 16 and age out of his orphanage. That is only 8 months away. EIGHT MONTHS!!!!!!!!!! A family needs to commit to rescuing him. Eight months is going to fly by. Unless you are stuck in an orphanage waiting and longing for a family. Just hoping one day a family will come in for YOU not one of the other kids. A family who is coming to take you out of there for forever. A family who is going to love you and nurture you for the rest of your life. A family who is going to get you the nutrition that you need for your disabilities. But you start to loose hope. Help these kids find hope that there is good in the world.  That there are good people in the world.

Sheppard only has HIV. He only has to take 2 pills every morning. That is his only disability!

Please! Help me find hope for these kids who have no hope. Who don't even know what it is like to live outside of an orphanage. Who day after day watch other kids go home with people who will love them. And they are just left there. Whether they are able to walk around and play or aren't that does NOT mean that they don't need to be loved. People are crazy for leaving their own children at orphanages just because they have disabilities or have been in an accident that changed their life. They still need to be loved. Maybe even more. Find their Hope!

15 Days

Only Fifteen more days until you get to find out who is my Angel for this years Angel Tree Warrior program through Reece's Rainbow. I can hardly wait!!!! I hope everyone will come together and share and donate to my Angel. I want to get her out in the world so that everyone will know her. Well maybe not everyone but at least closer to her family. She really needs a family!!!

My goal is to raise $1000 more than what she has as of October 31. Any donation given to this Angel between November 1 and December 31 will be counted as the money I have raised for her.

I want to do some fundraisers. Maybe a Hot Chocolate stand? I was thinking maybe a Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner where we bring in donations for my Angel. Haven't quite decided how that will work though. If you have any thoughts or suggestions I would greatly appreciate them!!!!

I will have a total of 2 months to do this for this sweet little girl. I ask that you will join me in prayer every day that we will raise enough money for this little one, and most importantly that we will find her forever family. She has been waiting for too long for her family.

If anyone would like to help me with fundraising let me know!!! Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Love, Dakota

Brenton Update

Back in August I posted about an almost 16 year old. He is now 16 andddddddddd HE HAS A FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has been moved to RR's My Family Found Me page!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my last post about Mr. Brenton.

And here he is on the MFFM page on RR. (you have to scroll down a little bit)

He did it! God did it!! He found a family for yet another child who was about to live the rest of his life unloved. He now has a family who will come rescue him shortly.

Brenton, Your family is on their way to come rescue you and love you for the rest of your life. Hang in there buddy!

Christmas Tree Warrior

Every year RR does a Christmas Angel Tree program. Each child with DS and 2 children from each other category gets a Warrior. The Warriors have to raise $1000 more than what the child already has. I voted for two children from each category. They tallied it up. I picked one child whom I will not say yet. Donations start on November 1. Will you please help me raise the money for my Angel?

I will tell you that I have shared her on my facebook. It is a girl. There is a link on her RR Profile that takes you here to my blog. If you think you know who she is let me know!!!

I can't wait!!!!!

Nick Vujicic

I am writing an essay for English on a man named Nick Vujicic. Pronounced Voo-yi-chich. He was born with no arms or legs. Only a little foot. His testimony is AMAZING. Oh my gosh. He is so amazing. He was raised in a Christian household. But as you can imagine being "different" from everyone else isn't always the happiest thing. He became depressed as a child around age 8. At age 10 he was so depressed he tried to drown himself in the bathtub. He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave his family. He was born in 1982 in Australia. When his parents were expecting him they did not have a clue that he was not going to have limbs. They were shocked when they saw him when he was born. Even the 3 sonograms failed to show that he had no limbs. At age 19 he spoke at his first speaking engagement. In 2005 he started a non-profit organization called Life Without Limbs. Not only is he known world wide for his speaking he also sings, writes and acts. He has wrote two books. The Life Without Limbs book and the Unstoppable book. He has one song that has been released called Something More. Great song. In 2012 on February 12 he got married to a woman named Kanae. About 6 months ago they had their first child. A boy named Kiyoshi. He and his family live in Southern California since 2007. Nick has traveled all around the world to over 44 countries. Speaking in all of them. He has met Joni Eareckson Tada and Bethany Hamilton. When he was with Bethany he learned to surf. He has two younger siblings. Aaron and Michelle. He has a little foot that he uses to type and text. Using his little foot he can get around on a skateboard and swim.

I could go on and on but I have to go shower and get to bed. I hope you enjoy reading about Nick as much as I do.

Much Love and God Bless,
Dakota

To Love and to be Loved

You know that feeling of being loved? Do you know how much you love to feel loved? Do you know how many children have never been loved by a mommy or daddy? Do you know how many children died without being loved? On RR there is a page called "In Loving Memory" it is with all the children who died in their orphanage before their mommy and daddy found them. It breaks my heart to see all these sweet faces that have never had a mommy and daddy to tuck them into bed, pray with them, cook them dinner, drive them to school, tell them "I love you". What is even more sad is that there is over 40(!) kids on the "In Loving Memory" page. 40!!! All 40+ of these kids never knew what it was like to be loved. This song is for you little ones who are in Heaven, Dancing in the Sky.

Since 2006 Reece's Rainbow has found homes for 885 kids! That is 885 kids that are being loved by mommies and daddies as I type. To all 885 kids in homes with families that love them. This one is for you. It was Meant to Be.

To all the kids that are still waiting. This song is for you. You are an Overcomer! Be patient. Your mommy and daddy are out there some where. Waiting for you. Maybe they know that you are theirs, maybe God hasn't told them yet. But they are out there. You have a special place in someones heart.

Tonight take a special time and make sure you show how much you love your family. Give longer, tighter hugs. Be extra thankful for your families whom love you. And care for you day in and day out. Be thankful that you can do as you please. Say an extra prayer for the kids that are still waiting along with those that are in homes. All 885 kids in homes and the countless kids that are still waiting for families. Hopefully, God willing they will all have a family one day. Remember, you are blessed!!!!