What’s on your mind?

I feel like I have a billion things going on right now. Work is crazy busy (and I LOVE it), school is intense and I get about one day a week to actually get to hang out with hubby. I have a lot going on needless to say, and with that, I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my noggin. Just wanted to list a few for ya to keep you updated

• I am a very fickle person. I mean, really. So now that I am in school, I kind of don’t want to be. I have really struggled with figuring out if I have made the wrong choice, whether I really want to be a teacher or not, or if I am just wanting to give up because it is hard (most likely the last one). Right now I am definitely staying in the program. I would have wasted a lot of money and let down a lot of people if I didn’t. Let me state that again, I AM staying in the program. This is just a thought process I have been going through lately.
• I think I have told just about everybody that Tim and I plan to grow our family through adoption. I really am only interested in being pregnant once. I want to experience it, and then be done with it. Also, there are 143 BILLION orphans in the world. That number is too great to not be a part of decreasing that number, even if it is just a little. Also, I really feel that if you are a Christian, you should AT LEAST consider adoption. After all, you have been adopted into the Kingdom of God. So, with all of that said, Tim and I are praying about starting the process, and soon. I can’t tell you how excited I am. I know that it will still be about three more years before we bring home baby, but just beginning the journey is an amazing feeling. I am on the road to my child. That just makes me want to scream with joy We will first adopt from the Philippines. That is why I say the process will most likely take about three years. That is about how long it takes right now from that country, and I am prepared for that. I hope I don’t go crazy! Please be praying for us on that subject.
• Can I just say that I LOVE my husband? Because I do. Because of certain events that have happened in our lives recently, he came to me the other day and said he wanted to be proactive about having a healthy marriage. He is great and has really followed through
• Please go check out the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center. They have an incredible ministry in Haiti. It is amazing what the Lord does through them. Right now, their funds are really low. They could use YOUR help. Please read over the blog and see what incredible things they do in Haiti and how they serve the people there. And, if you feel led, please donate to them. If you ever feel a calling to go serve the people of Haiti, they can hook you up. They love for volunteers to come and serve them.
• Loving reading the blogs of those who went on the Compassion International trip to El Salvador. If you have never considered/prayed about Compassion International’s Child Sponsorship Program (sponsors like you pay $38 (in the U.S.) to meet the physical and spiritual needs of school-aged kids) please do so NOW. You will be forever changed.
• Still keeping an open mind to serving young, possibly single mothers. It is amazing how so many opportunities have presented themselves in the past couple of weeks. I am excited to share in the near future.
• I am REALLY wanting to get more involved in serving my community. I love my church family and they present so many opportunities to do this. I am thinking the previous point will be my vehicle to achieving this. I just want to get to know the people I am basically doing life with every day and don’t even know their names. I want to get to know who they are, what makes them tick, what their passions are, what is going on in their lives.
• I have no idea when I will fit anything new into my life. I am SO busy all of the time. Any time I mention anything new to some of my close friends or Tim, they always ask when am I going to do that. Hopefully that will work itself out.
• I am HORRIBLE with time management. I am such a procrastinator. I mean, really. And what is ridiculous is I HATE that about myself, but I do nothing about it. I think I heard on Dr. Phil before that it is because I am so self-centered, which is true. I really hope I grow up in that department, and soon!
• I decided to take a break from Facebook for awhile. I did well, for one day. That evening I finally broke and got on. That was when I found out I had one friend that was pregnant and another having problems with her pregnancy. Look how much changes in that small amount of time. Needless to say, my very short break is over. Did I mention I don’t have much self-control either?

Okay, I think that is pretty much the jest of it. I am sure there is much more, but that is all I can think of for now.

Praying for Gideon

This morning, at this very moment, Gideon (who is 6 years old) has been in major surgery, to remove a brain tumor the size of an orange, for nearly two hours. The surgery will be approximately 7 hours (I think).

Last week, Gideon’s parents noticed he was sort of losing mobility. He was becoming wobbly and was struggling with motor skills a healthy 6-year old boy should not be struggling with. Finally, Halloween night, after consulting with a family friend, they decided to take Gideon to the hospital just to get things checked out. That visit changed the lives of the entire family. A CAT scan revealed a brain tumor the size of an orange. Gideon was rushed to a near by Children’s Hospital. Now, a week later, he is in surgery. The doctors are very optimistic. They believe the tumor to be benign and totally treatable. John, Gideon’s dad, said this morning in a Facebook message:

“For the last fifteen minutes, i’ve watched Shannon playing with Gideon. He is laughing and enjoying all the new toys. It is so good to hear him laugh.
This is hard….no doubt. Although the doctor is optimistic, there is a possibility that we never see Gideon like this again. The poor little guy has no idea what he’s in for tomorrow. We love him so much. I remember when we were picking out his name. One thing I didn’t want was for people to call him “Giddy”. Well, with a personality like his, the name is totally appropriate and I’m so happy for the these 6 years with my little Giddy.
This week has been some of the toughest days ever. Yet we have a great peace because we know Who is in charge of all of this. Shannon and I both feel as if God has been preparing us for this for many years. We both greatly desire for Gideon to get fully back to “normal” and to live a long productive life. But we know there is something even more important: that God will get glory!
Friends, none of what has happened this week to our family is a surpise to God. This is not a curse but rather a gift from a loving God. This ailment causes us to long for our real home, where there will never be any brain tumors or tears. This ailment remind us that God is in complete control. God could have prevented this tumor, but He didn’t. He gave us this gift so that He may get glory by pushing us closer to a closer dependence on Him. He is a good God.
Some of you reading this I know are not lovers the one true Sovereign God. We hope that our trial can be used as a means to bring you into a relationship with Him.
Some of you reading this I know have a hard time understanding or believing that God can be loving and still be behind this. I pray that our testimony may have a part to see Him as most loving when He causes us to be more satisfied in Him. He is more valuable than anything….even our children.
We love all of you. We so appreciate each one of you.”

I am amazed at this family’s faith. The whole way they have done nothing but point people to the Lord through this whole process. Also, witnessing the Church rally around them in prayer and support has been amazing as well. People who have never met Gideon have come to love him through prayer because of the LORD our GOD.

Please join with me this morning in praying for this baby boy and his family. He has three brothers and one sister at home missing their brother. I’ll keep you posted as they update us on the surgery. Gideon’s precious momma is also updating on her blog when she can.

Update from Gideon’s mom: “We just met with the Dr…they couldn’t have asked for a better surgery. There was no excess bleeding and they are pretty sure they got it all out! We should be able to see him within the hour. How great is our God?!?”

just wanna vent…

Man, I REALLY want a baby. We are NOT pregnant, or even trying. But I REALLY want a kid! Tim knows this. He has known it since the day we got married. I want children, and a lot of them (and now!). He said we need to wait five years, and I really believe that is a wise decision. But, oh my, my heart yearns for a child SO MUCH. I know that it is still years away before we have kids of our own, but for now, I think I am about to explode!

Okay, I don’t feel better now, but at least I got it out….

new ministry?

I really feel like the Lord has placed a burden on my heart to serve single mothers who live at or below poverty level. Still praying for what steps to take and who to talk to.

If anyone has experience working with these amazing women, please let me know. I would love to chat with you. You can e-mail me at jessicatrivette[at]gmail[dot]com.

They are getting SO close!!

Please be praying for the Ivey’s and the Setliffe’s.

Jamie is in Haiti now with her babies. One of them has received her Visa and the other is waiting to get out of MOI.

The Setliffe’s have just learned some exciting news about their baby girl’s case.

Go over and show both of them some blog love! And PLEASE be praying for them

Catalyst Conference

This past week I had the privilege to attend the Catalyst Leadership Conference in Atlanta. It was amazing. I’ll admit, I was wiped out after just the first day, but it was all incredible. The Lord revealed so many things to me during this conference, things that were not even spoken on. Not even close to being spoken on. HE really is wonderful.

The “things” that were revealed, I am not yet ready to share. They were personal convictions. Things I am going to be hashing out and praying over for possibly years to come. Please pray for me. Pray that I will actually face these issues. Already I have lost the motivation to deal with these issues. I have been hiding from them for years, it is so easy to do now. Please pray for strength. The upcoming times will be difficult for me. Really difficult. I don’t even know which step to take next. I know that I am not really telling you anything, sorry.

Some other great things happened to. probably my favorite was seeing Mac Powell from Third Day sing with the African Children’s Choir. I loved that

Now back to balancing my check book…

I am still here…

Summer seems to be a difficult time for everyone on keeping up with their blog. Not that anything has changed much with my schedule. I think I am kind of getting into a whole, “do I even want to blog anymore” mood. Sorry, but it is true.

I love to read blogs. But, I don’t ever feel like I have enough going on with me to blog about. Or if I do, I don’t have the energy.

But, for those who might still be reading, here is what is going on with me these days:

• I have started to learn about the whole world of Coupons from SouthernSavers.com. I have read on several other blogs how much they are saving, and I have decided I want in on that too! You should check it out!
• I start school next Wednesday! Yep, the girl who has wanted out of school most of her life is going back. And get this, I am going back to be a teacher! I am going back to become something that will always keep me in school! My teachers from elementary, middle and high school would be shocked…and confused! I am going through a 16 month program (+ student teaching) that meets once a week, at night. I am excited because everyone I have worked with so far from this school has been fantastic! And I have heard mega good (yeah, I just made that up) things about the school… so it should be great!
• I have started watching my three most favorite little boys again! I watch Daniel, Nathan and Dalton every Tuesday, and goodness I can’t get enough of those kiddos!
• Tim has hurt his back pretty bad. He has been walking around crooked. No really. He told me he feels really gross because his body is doing something that is not natural So for the past two weeks we have been laying low. I think I have rested just about as much as I can. I am ready to go out and go hiking, or something!
• We recently rearranged our living room, and I love it! I have randomly stated so many times while just sitting in the living room how much I like it. I used to think the whole deal with energy flowing  b/c of how you arrange your furniture was a bunch of bull. But it makes me so happy how we have it now. Makes me rethink some things
• There is a shortage of good movies lately to rent. I have seen a couple of good movies, but they were at the movie theater. My favorite right now in theaters is probably “The Proposal“. I am a big fan of Sandra Bullock.
• I really need to start working out. Enough said.
• I am saddened to read this… praying even harder for them.
• I am living about 5 hours away from my immediate family. My two sisters go to 8th grade and high school for the first time today. I feel like I am missing out on them growing up. And I really miss my family. Any advice from any one who has married and moved away?

And to end it all, I thought I would post a picture of my two favorite girls (Diana and Necie, my sisters):

Diana and Necie

Haiti Rescue Center

Please be praying for the Rescue Center in Haiti today.

Go here to find out what they are dealing with right now.

I don’t know what to think…

Everyone has heard about Invisible Children. Oh, you haven’t? Go HERE.

“Invisible Children’s goal is to create awareness regarding the plight of the people of northern Uganda, caught in the midst of a civil war between the government and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group that makes extensive use of kidnapping children and making child soldiers.” – Wikipedia.org

One of my husband’s best friends works for IC in California, so I have heard quite a bit about it. It is an amazing organization doing a lot of good, and spreading the word of this battle in Uganda to thousands and thousands.

As you see up at the top, Joseph Kony is the leader of the LRA. They kidnap children, very young children, and raise them to be child soldiers. They raise them to kill others. But they do not wait until they are grown to make them kill. Pictures of 8 years olds holding automatic weapons can be seen all over. It is heartbreaking to see what these people are making these children do.

I know what to think about this. I feel… anger, hatred, heartbreak, and much more. I want to become Lara Croft and Jack Bauer combined so I can go break those children free. I know that is not the answer. But, that is still what I want to do. I want to rescue these babies.

So, knowing all of that. Knowing what they do to these children, I don’t know what to think about this:

This is Joseph Kony. Remember? He is the leader of all of this chaos. He is the one giving the orders, holding the power. And the little girl and little boy on his lap? His children. What? Really? He is a father, and he can do this to other people’s babies? Like I said, I don’t really know how I feel. I do know there is something in the pit of my stomach that is not right though.

Fundraising Update

I don’t know why, but I just have not been in the mood to post blogs for the last month or so. Sorry for the lack of updates! I am even getting tired of Twitter and Facebook. Google Reader is struggling too. I don’t know what has gotten into me. Oh well.

Just wanted to give you some updates on the fundraising for our trip to Shashamene, Ethiopia.

Two Saturdays ago we had a yard sale. Honestly, it wasn’t as big as I thought it would be, but when is it ever? It was supposed to be this big community yard sale with over 10 or 12 families yardselling too. Well, we got there and there was only one other yard sale (whom we made mad and she yelled at me!). The lady who organized it all didn’t even show up! The high light of it all was we brought the litter of boxer pups that turned 6 weeks old that day. We had so many people stop by, those babies were worn out! I told mom at some point that morning that my goal was just to raise $100. Seemed realistic enough. When we got to $128, we called it quits. We had been there since 7am (with me not getting there the night before until about 10:15) and were pooped! So we packed up and went to my sister’s softball tournament. Man I wish I could go to more of her tournaments! She is so good and I love to see her play!

Yesterday, Sunday, we had what was supposed to be a Spaghetti Lunch, but last minute turned into a Sloppy Joe lunch. We had food donated at the last minute, so we switched the menu to Sloppy Joes. They were so good too! I cooked 15 pounds of ground beef yesterday morning and then served it! We had a blast. Tim and I used to both serve in restaurants. It made me want to serve again! I love being busy and organized! I asked Tim if he missed it, to which he responded with a laugh and a NO! Ah well.

At the lunch we raised $450 on the dot! We were incredibly excited and blessed!

So now I think we have some where around $4,000 left to raise in a little less than a month. Wow, that is a lot. But our God is BIG. If He wants us to go, it will happen. I am not worried

We have t-shirts if you would like to help out with the fundraising! Here are two pictures that pretty much show what they look like. One of the pictures is Afework, who lives in Shashamene. I just think that picture is so cool and makes it even more real that we are leaving for Africa in a month and 3 days! Holy Cow!!!

If you are interested in a t-shirt, they are $20 including shipping. Just email me at jessicatrivette[at]gmail[dot]com. I will update soon to let you know the sizes I have.

P/S: I am getting back in the mood to have a kid now!! I have been looking at adoptuskids.org for the last couple of days and falling in love with so many little ones! We are holding off for at least 3 more years, but oh I want one now! – Ok, I am done whining