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Check out a few pics from the ECC Home Tours and the recap article on the UB Central website here: http://ubcentral.org/2012/01/06/christmas-at-our-church-fort-wayne-ind/

“I’m a Riley kid too…”

There seems to be a plot a foot…an underground plot of compassion and generosity to our family at Riley.  I’m not sure if the people I keep meeting are angels or aliens, but either way, I think they are sent from God.

Last night I headed down to the Ronald McD house by myself because Sara was full from the delicious vegetable wrap and pita chips with hummus we happened upon in the afternoon a few hours earlier.  We were both feeling snack-ish and since Si was sleeping we headed downstairs to find…nothing.  I had just walked past the kitchen island and was planning on drinking some water when I turned around and…magically, wraps and pita chips with hummus had appeared out of thin air!  Actually, they were from one of the Dr groups here at the hospital, but it seemed like they just appeared.  Amazing.  We spent the next 45 min munching happily in the courtyard while listening to each other and the water from the bubbling fountain.

Fast forward back to last night…my stomach was semi-full from the wrap and chips, but I still wanted to eat something to avoid the munchies at bed-time.  Low and behold, the College Park Church from here somewhere had brought in home-made hamburgers, beans, potato salad AND fruit salad and was serving it with a smile to all the hurting souls who stumbled in the doors of the R.M. House.  I got a plate (no beans, please!)  and made my way back out to the courtyard to sit in the quiet.  No more than 5 min later, an elementary school girl wearing a yellow T-shirt and straight, dark blonde, shoulder length hair walked out the door, crossed the courtyard and asked, “Can I sit with you?”

“Ah, sure,” I said.

“My name is Lindsey.” she said, “It sure is nice and quiet out here.”

“Yeah, it is.  My name is Sam.”

“Hi, Sam.  How are you doing today?”

“I’m doing…ok.  Thanks for asking.  My son is here at Riley because he’s sick and we are learning to feed him through a tube in his nose.  The Doctor says that it could really help him.”

“Oh, that’s good.  I hope it does.  I was a Riley kid too.”

“Really?  So are you here at the hospital as a patient or are you just helping?  You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.  It’s up to you…”

“That’s ok.  I’m just here helping.  My sister Amanda and my mom are here too.  We are here a lot helping.  My sister and I are twins.”

“Well, thank you for the food.  It’s delicious.  By the way, are you fraternal twins or identical twins?”

“You’re welcome.  We are identical twins.”

“Are you wearing the same thing or different things.”

“We’re wearing different things.  Oh, there she is…”

And just then, her sister, Amanda, walked out into the courtyard wearing a floral jumper.  She also walked lightly across the courtyard and plopped down next to her identical twin.

“Hi, my name is Amanda.”

“Hi, Amanda,” I said, “I was just talking to your sister, Lindsey.  And thanks for the food, it’s delicious.”

“Yeah, it is good.  It’s all home-made.”

“I know,” I said, “Lindsey told me.  It’s great.”

“Do you know what makes it good?  Love.  Love always makes food taste better.  It’s not like you just go to the store and open a can of baked beans and dump it out.  You make it yourself and it has love in it.  That’s what makes it taste good”

“I think you’re right,” I said.

The conversation went on from there.  We talked about what we liked to put on our hamburgers.  Both Lindsey and Amanda said they LOVED mayonnaise and couldn’t think of any sandwich that they wouldn’t put mayo on…except PB&J.  That wouldn’t really taste good, we all agreed, but that was the only one.  Later their mom came out, introduced herself and shared their family’s story…

Amanda and Lindsey were congenital twins who were born attached from the bottom of their rib-cage to the belly button and they were sharing 1/5 of their individual livers!  At 5 months of age, they came to Riley and were separated in an intensive surgery.  Ever since, they were “Riley kids”.  A few years ago, their mother decided she needed to give back and convinced her church, College Park, to provide meals and volunteers for the Ronald McDonald house at Riley where she was “given such a gift”.  Now, almost once a week, they come down and serve home-made food with love to the hurting souls who are here to find healing.

I’m still not sure if Amanda and Lindsey were angels or aliens.  They were at least two of the most caring and outgoing little girls I’ve ever met.  Either way, after meeting them, I think I want to be a “Riley kid” too.

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http://adoptioninblackandwhite.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/bone-scan-results/

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Here is the latest update on Silas from my wife:

http://adoptioninblackandwhite.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/update-2/#comments

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http://www.edstetzer.com/2010/12/guest-post-from-philip-nation.html

An interesting article from Ed Stetzer…I don’t know the guy from Adam, but thought he had some good thoughts. A few I’ve had and try to practice and one or two new ones. I don’t agree 100% with everyone b’c other people have given the opposite feedback. Some of this is his opinion. For example, I’ve had people say that they like it when the lights are slightly dim so that if they begin crying they don’t feel overly exposed. Ed feels differently and that’s ok. Always good to hear various opinions as we work to better lead God’s people in worship. What do you think?