A Fun Video update

I thought that I would show you a video of some of Shiloh's latest "tricks". She learned to say her name this past week and it is very cute as you will see. It sounds more like "shiwo" but none the less she knows that it is her name. She is trying to talk so much lately and on one hand I want to help her to communicate, but on the other it means that my little baby is waving goodbye and my little girl is saying "hellwo". Tonight as we were playing I told her to say "Hi dollie" she said "hellwo dowi" It was precious. She is going to be a very verbal 2 yr old I can already see this. She is learning the sounds of animals and is trying to pick them out when I hold up her flash cards. Her latest trick is gymnastics on our couch. She will try to climb up, which she is very close to accomplishing, and then run back and forth. It all culminates with her usually jumping off at me. Not a trick for he unsupervised moments. She waves good bye very well, but at the end of the video I asked her to say good bye and I thin that she thought I was going bye bye and that didn't settle well.

Here she is folks The Amazing Shiloh Cooper!!!!!!!!!

We Are Back

Our family vacation was so much fun. We went with my parents on a cruise to the Bahamas. None of us had ever done anything like this before and I think that we would all do it again. We flew to Miami where we boarded the ship on Mon. Dec. 7th. It was huge!!! The ship was about two football fields in length and 7 stories high. I have never been on a boat that large. There were around 9 resturants, a basketball and volleyball court, two swimming pools and several hot tubs. There was live entertainment at night and plenty to do during the day at the different ports that we stopped at. There were three ports of call, Free Port, Nassau, and Great Stirrup Cay their private island. We swam on the boat, ate like kings and queens, and saw some fun shows. On the islands we walked around, toured historical sites, took a glass bottome boat tour, as well as spent a day at the beach. It was so fun! Here are a few pictures of our vacation.
Merry Christmas.


Steven and my mom


Shiloh enjoying the beach chairs

Great Stirrup Cay

Mommy and Shi

At Fort Charlette on Nassau

A fort to defend against the French and Pirates

Our ship from Nassau Harbor

Shi and Mommy on our glass bottom boat tour

Shi loved the wind from the ocean

My little Gypsy

Shiloh loves when we put hats or other things on her head. She immediatly will go to the mirror and look at herself. She loved this red scarf so much that she left it on her head for almost an hour. It was so funny. She would wave her head around like it was her hair.The blue bath robe tie that is around her shoulders was an accessory that she added later on of her own accord. She cracks me up!

Quick Update

Well here we are, another week has flown by and now it is the week of Thanksgiving. I am thankful for this and yet there is some sadness associated with it. This means that my little lamb is closer to two and closer to growing up on me. I think that I shall pass out the first time that she says a real sentence to me. It is also the first times that I haven't been home for the holiday. This year we are just not in a place that it is possible to go home. So we are going to press on and make it here in KC, the best that we can. That may not include a home cooked meal and lots of lounging around on my families couches with turkey coma, but we will have a meal and I am still hoping for a nap.
Just a note on Shiloh...she is almost completely well. She has a little cough that is lingering but other than that she is her bright and cheerful self again. She has no fever and sleeping through the night to my great relief. We gave her last breathing treatment the other day and sent that machine packing. She had her first shots and not troubles on that end as well. All the little things that worry parents come and go I am learning. You just have to take them one at a time and breathe in between. Sometimes I imagine it like the football drill where the players ram those post things and try to push them back. That is what it is like when your child is sick and then when you have drama on top of that. But all better now. Breathe.....

We are waiting for some papers to come through for Steven's final acceptance into the academy. After that he will have an orientation in December and start the academy on Jan. 7th. I will start my second job on Dec. 14th working two 10 hr days in surgery and taking call on Friday nights. I used to work in surgery when we first moved here so it isn't like a whole new set of skills that I have to learn. I just need to dust that part of my brain off a little. :0) I took a tour of the OR today and saw some familiar faces and a lot of new ones. It will be interesting and I will try to blog my way through it.

Other than that I haven't got much to tell. I will be posting a cute little video tomorrow and pictures of my finished kitchen sometime this weekend. Stay tuned!

Today

Man I am really posting lately or so it seems. Today was one of those days that I think is worth remembering because God saved my life. For real saved it from possible death or Steven's death. Here is the tale........
Steven got the truck inspected last week and it failed because of some kind of gasket thing. The auto place told him that it would cost $600 to fix it. (Well, just put that on our tab, I thought when Steven told me.) So Steven spent all of this last weekend taking the engine apart trying to fix it. When he finally got to the part that needed to be changed, there was a stripped screw that prevented him from going any further. I felt so bad for him because of the labor that he spent for nothing. He had the truck jacked up and the engine out. It was not such a happy day. So one of his friends told him about this place in Harrisonville, MO. that would probably pass us no problem. [Now this gasket thing isn't that big of a deal but will eventually need to be fixed. We are not trying to be unsafe.] Harrisonville is about 25 min south of KC and the appointment was at 8:30am this morning. All good and fine unless you just got home at midnight from a stress filled day at work and your daughter thought it was mommy /daughter hang out time. Anyway, I got up early and we were out the door by 8am. As we were driving I felt that the truck was a little shakey but chalked it up to the gasket thing and that I don't normally drive the truck, so how would I know. I got to the Harrisonville auto place and he quickly put the truck up on the rack. Then he calls out "does your husband have a large insurance policy?". For the love...what now? I said I don't know and he called me into the back part of the shop. He asked " when was the last time this front tire was off?" I told him this weekend and he shook his head. "Well you are lucky!" He then started to shake the tire and it almost feel off the truck. " Mam you forgot to tighten the lug nuts all the way. You could have had a serious accident". My heart just about fell on that garage floor. Here I was with my little lamb at 8am driving 25 min on the hwy with a half on tire. I called Steven and let him know what happened. Of course he felt terrible about it and said that he must have been so distracted. Well praise GOD that Heaven wasn't!!!!
The mechanic finished the inspection and tightened all the lug nuts to be sure. We passed!! That means that we wont have to figure out how to pay someone $600 that we sure don't have, or how to make it with just one car. Oh thank you Lord!!!! Spared my life and our wallet. Now that is mercy.

Just another day in the life of a Cooper.

Doing Better Today

Shiloh had a little better night and this morning was in a much better state. I was able to get off work early last night and be home with my little sickie. We started breathing treatments last night every 4 hours and I think that really made a huge difference. She had a couple of coughing spells during the night, but she was not struggling to breathe. This morning she ate a little and played hard till about 11am. Then she just fell apart and started coughing and wheezing again. I gave her the breathing treatment and rocked her to sleep. It isn't often that I get to hold her asleep anymore (she likes to just lay down to go to sleep) so I took advantage and just sat there with her. She is so beautiful! She slept for about 2 1/2 hours and when she woke up she was so adorable and cuddling. A friend of our is watching her tonight for a little while while Steven studies and does his homework, and I am going to try to get home to give her another breathing treatment before she goes to bed.
Oh these days...I just keep thinking of the verse James 1:2-5 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Also..
Ecclesiastes 7:14 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him."

Lately with all the stress and chaos around every corner I just want to sit down and cry. Then I think of the verse in James about the testing of your faith producing patience. I think that if we do what we want to do in taking orphans in and putting them before the Lord, we are going to need all the patience that we can get. How else do you get patience, except through trials. If there is an easier way please let me know.
Lord help me to let patience have its perfect way in our home, our lives, and in my heart during this next season. I need your wisdom and your grace...come to us in this season of pressing through every hindrance to the goal.

Shiloh is Sick

Shiloh has croup and was up most of the night coughing and struggling to breath. I drove to the ER after finding her in he bed gasping for air and barking like a seal. Before I left, I gave her a breathing treatment that seemed to kick in as we got to the ER. As a mother and a nurse I was so conflicted over what to do. As the mother all I could see was that my daughter was struggling and needed help. As a nurse I knew that there was more at home that I could do for her to get her through this. I sat in the waiting room contemplating the choice to stay and be seen at a huge expense or go home and see how we do with a few more home remedies. I choose to go home after I called a good friend who helped my heart to calm down so that my head could get a word in. It is so funny that if it were anyone else's child I could have rattled off what to do in a heart beat. But when I see Shiloh laboring to breath everything got fuzzy and my mind was a blank.

We came home and steamed up the bathroom for a little moist heat to help open up her airways. Then we got some ice water and a paci and started our long night. She coughed and struggled till about 5am. I took her outside to breath the cold air and that seemed to stop the spasms pretty good. The cold acts as an antinflammatory almost to relieve the cough. So I jumped in bed for a few hours then woke her up to feed her this morning. Her cough is less, though I know that it is worse at night. Right now she is sleeping with some Motrin and Cough Elixir in her system. So say a little prayer for us if you think about it. I have to go to work at 3pm and Steven will be on deck. I am thankful that my mom was with me this weekend. She gave me a little respite this morning to catch some zzzzz's.

Just Another Day In the Neighborhood

I love that God has positioned our house right between IHOP and the HWY. I know that sounds funny but it seems so purposeful to me. I love IHOP...what it stands for, what we do there, I just love it. I am so grateful that I can walk there with stroller and baby in tow and spend my mornings joining in with prayers and watching my little Shiloh dance with angels. I also love that we live next to the HWY. Well a few blocks away. It reminds me of moving forward, of things that are coming our way. Now the rest of this post is completely unrelated. :-)
Today I had to teach a medication certification class at Spofford. It is to train the dorm staff that will be administering meds everyday. It is an 8 hr class and one that you would find very boring, I do. I try to make it as fun as you can make that type of thing, like throwing in jokes between teaching policy and procedures. When I got to work I sipped on my coffee and nibbled on my pumpkin bagel till the manager on duty came into my office to let me know that a serious medication error had occurred. I immediately started ordering things and getting vitals. I called the Dr. to get more advise and let my director of nursing in on the situation. It was 8:45am and my class was scheduled to start at 9am. Whoops! So as I was assessing the resident, looking over her chart and talking to the Dr. I started to stress. The resident was fine and the Dr. said that we just needed to observe her and to let the Dr. know of any changes. Then my boss tells me that I have to call the family and let them know of the situation, and also I have to write a serious occurrence document and fax it in to the state, who will then investigate it. Yikes! I took a deep breath and call the mother and as nicely and as professional as I can I tell her the facts and that her daughter is under my care and I will look after her. She took it OK, I mean can you imagine such a call at 9:30a? I type up the serious occurrence form and fax it to the state. Then I write my report and chart all that has been done. By this time it is almost 10am. Now in my frazzled state I go up to teach my class and realize that I have forgotten my teaching stuff. So I go back down the stairs get everything and start teaching at 10:15am. Crap 1 hour and 15 min behind. So I am teaching to my best ability making sure that I drill the proper medication administration procedures into their heads. All the while I am thinking about this poor little girl and what will happen to her. Well lunch comes and I check on our girl. She is doing fine minus a really bad headache. Then the manager on duty come to me and tells me that one of our girls ( a cutter) is wanting to hurt and kill her self. Great! So I am monitors my first situation, now contemplating what to do with the suicidal girl and all the while needing to finish teaching my class. It was an interesting day for sure. At the end of my teaching around 6pm I had a lady that has worked at Spofford for 7yrs tell me that out of all the med classes that she had attended that mine was the most informative. Oh I hope so! I then went to my office to finish charting on my first situation and to check on the cutter. She was better PTL. I clocked out and came to my awesome family to relax. I didn't get to relax at first, but now that everyone is in bed....I feel so much better. Stay tuned for more drama as I will be interviewing to scrub in surgery part time next week.

What Next?

(Disclaimer: Starts out rough, but I praise God in the end.)
When it rains it pours is an expression we use when people seem to be running into walls everywhere they turn. People get out of one mess and then they land smack dab in another one. The plumbing is messing up in your home, then your roof starts leaking and the saga goes on. Well if that statement holds true then I would have to say that in the Cooper house, when it rains, it tsunami's. We are not just hitting walls, we are having to make them and then run into them. It is a nightmare to think that you are about to breath fresh air only to be shut up in another little cell without windows again. To many metaphors? Ok, here is the raw version.
We are barely hanging in here. That is really raw isn't it. Well you know me, and that is me...raw and uncut. If it wasn't coming up $500 short for the roof, then it was the wrech that Steven was in...in the car with liability only I might add. If it wasn't the car wreck, then it was the court and lawyer fees of $550 that we had to pay. If it wasn't that then it was the plumber that we had to pay to fix something that my husband later told me he could have done. If it wasn't that then it was the $12.00 inspection for the $75 tag renewal that our truck failed for a problem that will cost us $600 to fix. If it wasn't that then it is the fact that my husband has a wrist injury that we are having to get x-rays for and all that comes with Dr. visits. If is wasn't that then it is the fact that Steven will be starting the academy in Jan. and the first 20% is due Dec. 14th.
I know, I know...welcome to the real world. Today I found out by chance that Steven's passport is expired and we leave for our vacation with my family Dec. 7th. That means an additional $149 plus overnight payments to try to get it here in time so that we didn't waste $300.

It sounds like I am complaining and in a way I am, but this is my blog so....
I am really grateful for so many things and God's faithful provision is one of them. Here let me share a few of His smiles on us.
The court fees came from our kitchen fund. I nannied for a family while they were away and saved the money for our kitchen. When we needed the money for the wreck and court fees we used that money I had saved. That is sad since we have been without a fully working kitchen for about a year, but you can live without a kitchen. The wreck could have put points against Steven's license and then he couldn't have gotten into the academy. But the lawyer got it reduced and so he did get in. Thank you God. It sucked to have to pay that amount, but in the long run I try to look at it as an investment.
The plumber was a nice Christian man so I feel good about paying, even though I was nauseous as I wrote out the check. I feel that since he talks about his faith a lot that we are putting into the kingdom some.
The truck...well I am not sure yet because we just found out, but I know that God will help us one way or another.
The passport...we thank our friends way up North and God. They left us a generous gift as friends and for staying with us. That money will go to expediting Steven's passport. I need all of your prayers to help it get here by Dec. 4th!!!! In hind sight I wished I would have waited till next year for our family vacation, but I didn't know that we would be in this state right now so there is no sense in crying over spilled milk now. Just clean it up as my mom would say.

(DB- we haven't forgotten you guys...we will p.y.b!)

The 20% for Steven's academy...it will be a God thing.
Steven will attend Mon- Fri from 8am-5:30pm which means that he will have to quit his job. OUCH! I have been looking for another part time job to help out, but have been coming up short. Then He kisses us again! A friend of mine that I helped get a job when she moved here called me the other day. I had been searching for another part time job and she said that my name came to her three times that day. The hospital that I used to work was hiring surgical scrubs again and would I be interested? So I called and I am praying that they will give me an interview tomorrow. This will hopefully help us get Steven through the academy so that in May he can get hired on at a department. You are probably thinking "wow, why are you excited to work two jobs".. I am not.... are you crazy? But that is what has to be done. At least it is good pay and I know it already. I scrubbed in surgery for three yrs before moving here and I love it. My endometriosis is why I quit. Now that God is healing me I am not having near as many symptoms and can stand for long hours. I praise Him twice!!
It will be hard for the next couple of months, but we are no stranger to that. The ultimate goal for our family is to open our home to those who have none and for Steven to work with investigating human trafficking. This is just the road that we have to take to get there.
Seasons come and go and with each one we learn a little more. This season has been so rich in so many ways and so poor in others. But no matter we have lived, learned and are loving every minute growing as a family. Thank you Jesus that you know us and guide us through the hard times and dance with us in the good! If you think of us say a little prayer.
Thank you for reading this blog!

Vacation in Winter

We are headed to somewhere warm when it starts to get really cold here. That is right my friends, we are going on a cruise in December. I surprised Steven for his birthday/ 10 yr anniversary with a 5 day cruise to the Bahama's. In my mind I could imagine us sitting on the beach, sipping something with fruits sticking out of it and listening to the waves lull us to sleep. However that scene may be slightly different. Steven, Myself, and of course our little lamb will be cruising with my parents so the dream of sleeping in and lots of alone time my be for later in life. However my parents are going to help out with Shiloh so I am looking forward to some honey time and maybe one morning of sleeping in.
I started paying on the cruise in May and I thought that I would be so awesome and pay it off then start saving for the fun money we would spend while there. Well the cruise is payed for by the skin of our teeth and with all our financial blows these last couple months, I am not sure that there will be much fun money. No worries though. Head up...tears are wiped away because the ship has an enormous amount of fun, pools, fitness center, and so much more to keep us occupied. When on the island I have been scouting out fun and inexpensive things to do for us. Here is what I had in mind.

First port: Grand Bahama Island
There is a huge national forest there that boast the largest system of caves and underwater river systems. It is gorgeous and only $10 to get in per person. Sweet!

Freeport Market is a large shopping area with lots to see and I am not a huge shopper so it would be a good place to site see.

Deadman's shore is a place about 30 min from the main area that offers snorkeling, kayaking, and meals for $35 a person. You don't have a time limit and they will pick you up(included in the price)

Second Port: Nassau

There is a little place called Lake Nancy there that offers canoeing. The lake is only about 4 ft deep so it would be safe for the little one to join us. The rentals are by 2 hour increments and only $20. Then after that I thought we would go to the beach and just play.

Third Port: Norwegians private island

Here is the place that I just have no clue. It might just have to be a beach day. We'll see how much fun money we have to know if we can do a bunch of stuff.

No matter what, the scenery will be gorgeous, the water crystal clear, and the weather will be fine. All these combined with family will ultimately end in happiness for all!

Delivered By Hope

I think that as mother's we seem to "miss out" on so many things. I say that mostly in irony because as mother's we get to take in so much that the world is missing out on. (i.e. our children progressing and growing in God) There is so much to get done in a day and so often only half of that gets accomplished. I fell that in this season called motherhood that God has a special grace and a tender spot in His heart. It seems that when I go into the prayer room and as distracted as I am and for the short moment that I am able to be there with a 13 mo. old, that God always seems to speak directly into the depths of my heart. I can be listening to the web stream or a CD and the Lord downloads something into my spirit before a toy goes flying across the room at my head. It is like He knows the limited time frame and yet there is this precious kiss from His word that soaks into my spirit like the pine sol into the mop. (speaking in mom terms)
Today was such a day for me. I have a limited window in my day after I have showered, started the dinner, and the baby is napping. I sat down in my house robe and opened the bible to Ps 110. What an awesome reminder of who God is and what Christ is coming to do. Voluntary lovers at the end of the age worshiping Jesus in the beauty of holiness. Love that one!! Then I scroll over to another verse where it talks about the "barren" having a home. Well if that word doesn't grab your attention it is because it is not personal to you. However in my little world it is. So I find the cross reference and it takes me to Hannah's prophetic declaration after giving Samuel to the Lord. I love that passage so I back track to the beginning and read it through.
Now Last year the Lord took me on an intense journey of mourning the last 13 yrs of illness with Endometriosis and the loss that all of it brings. It was a maze of sorrow coupled with His tender mercies leading me to a place of somewhat wholeness to received our daughter. I am still in process, but it is less intense. However when I was reading through 1Samuel 1-3 I caught something that I hadn't seen before. You may not believe me when I share with you this amazing revelation, but it is true. I need to give you background for a moment before I share my epiphany.
In living with endometriosis I have had season's where the Lord would begin to deal with my heart on contending and on my emotional response. I went through scriptures and looked at the mother's of the faith and how they lived. The majority of the "mother's of the faith" were childless in the beginning. Each one went through a season of crying out, but it was how they cried out that I was looking at. I wanted to posture my heart in a way that pleased the Lord, yet didn't give in to the illness. Looking at these women I realized that I wanted to resemble Hannah in how she lived before the Lord. So I would read here and there bits of her testimony and pray it back to God. Now having said that you will understand why I feel silly for missing what I am about to tell you.
As I was reading this morning I was struck by the fact that God is answering my cry. Elka, Hannah's husband would go to Shiloh to worship the Lord. Now I knew that Shiloh was a place of worship and importance to Israel, but it struck me that God had weaved my journey with Hannah's. I now have a Shiloh and I have worshipped God for this place. I have turned from a "woman of sorrowful spirit" to joyful in the midst of mourning. It has been a lightening of the load if you will. I realized that God has given me a "place" of worship that is sacred to Him. I didn't name my daughter Shiloh because it was in this verse, but God knew my journey and wove her right into the center. So I started looking for more kisses, more hidden jewels that I missed in previous seasons. Let me tell you, it is rich. I am going to dive into some scriptures and blog the progression of digging for treasures.

Be Our Guest

We are so excited about this coming weekend! We have friends from Canada coming to stay with us for a week and it is going to be a blast. These are friends that we met a the Sanctuary House of Prayer in Winni, Canada and let me tell you they are stellar. Kristi is a L & D nurse and a woman after my own heart. Shane is a full time intercessor and I think he runs the Santuary. They are so much like us it is almost scary. They are coming to KC for a two week holiday and splitting their time between our house and another set of friends. I feel so honored!

As I am woring away on my kitchen today I was thinking of all that must be done before our guest arrive. Kristi and Shane Farrow are the type of guest that make you want to scrub your house and put out flowers and chocolates. They are the kind of guest that you want to clean, rearrange, and stock your fridge for. The Farrows coming makes me want to bake and use nice china dishes. These guys are the type of guest that you wash the guest sheets in Tide and use Bounce dryer sheets because you want them to smell like you had them pro laundered. We are talking wash the windows, scrub the cracks and corners of your house and buy nice fancy candles for kind of guest. I am just so excited!

Now having said all that.... if I had fine china I would use it, however I got married at 20yrs old and thought that registering for china was what old people did. Now I do have some pretty Fiesta dishes that my grandmother left me and I would gladly set the table with those for the Farrows. (As long as you promise to not break them. :0) Scrubbing I will do, however I might not get every crack and corner as I have a 13mo old cutie tuti that is like my shadow. It is harder to be so detailed with a shadow that wants to help. Clean the fridge I shall do, and stock it I must! As for the rest, well lets face it.... I am less than... let say Martha Stewart and more like Rachel Ray when it comes to cleaning and cooking. No matter cause the Farrows are the type of guest that just want to be with us, and not so much into inspecting our house.

This is going to be a good week of fun, friendship, and getting to love on my little Shiloh!!!!

In True Cooper Fashion

Our kitchen remodeling is still dragging on,but I thought that I would update you all the same. Part of the delay is my fault entirely. I was mistaken on the start date and didn't have the tile or back splash picked out. That cause a two day delay, that I am now living with one week later (still no kitchen sink & the bathroom sink is clogged. Ugh). However, I must give my husband props because what is done thus far is very nice. I picked out a chocolate brown tile for the counter tops and then a nice slate back splash that picks up the colors from the floor and melts them all together next to the brown coutnertops. I think that I am going to paint the walls a dark golden color that will tie it all together beautifully. Since my hubby is a good carpenter we have added a special touch around the cabinets. We have roudered some boards and I faux finished them to look old and rustic. There is also a beam in the ceiling that I will faux to match the rustic look. Don't worry I will let you see the finished product soon. As I type Steven is starting to grout everything. Soon my friends, soon. Here are a couple of picks to give you a preview of the back splash and counter tops.

P.S. I am glad that we decided to grout the backsplash first, as the grout isn't the color that I thought is would be. It is fine for the backsplash, but maybe not the countertops. :-{

Outside and All Around

Our house is busy with construction on the kitchen, a yard full of leaves, and one very curious little 13mo. old. She has been so good not to touch the tools that Steven has in the kitchen, although I can see in her face that the temptation is almost too much to control. She just looks at him with amazement as he drills and cuts, every so often she will comment and then just walk off. She is officially the new supervisor of the project. We are almost done, just need to finish tiling and then wa-la.... a fancy kitchen. I posted some pics to let you see the progress.

Well yesterday and today's weather are straight from heaven I am sure. This is the climate that I would live in forever, minus all the leaves. I love the changing of the leaves, it is my favorite scene of fall but not the raking of them once they have landed. :-) Shiloh and I have been trying to tackle the leaves, but he down pour of new leaves is unending. She has a blast though just wading out in them and surprisingly hasn't tried to eat them.

Sunday was glorious so I invited some friends to go to the pumpkin patch with Shiloh and me. It was so much fun, but I think that as she ages it will be much more delightful. We utilized the horse swing, road a little train ride, and of course a hay ride to top the day off. There were lots of animals, but unfortunately not too many pumpkins at this particular farm. That was the biggest bummer for me but Shiloh could care less I am sure. She had a blast.

Here's Life

Thank you all for continuing to read our blog and stay connected to us. We love that you are here. We have had a crazy summer with so many changes like Steven switching from musician to security officer and from full time staff to full time student. I have stayed at my job with the children's home, however I have stepped into a new role as educator there. I taught my first class the other day on the long and short term physical effects of sexual abuse. Having to research and study this topic was hard, but I was really proud of my class. I will be teaching it again in Nov. as well as teaching medication certification classes. It is a big task. I have also stepped into the season where I am beginning to teach Shiloh. I joined a group called Parents as Teachers and my first session is the 21st. Till then I am trying to read more and talk a lot more during the day. It is fun, and exhausting to be honest.

I love fall with the color changes and the cooler weather. I have been looking forward to outdoor activities all summer in the fall like pumpkin patches and long walks in the woods. However the cold weather swept us into cold season and that doesn't mesh well with a toddler. So that was disappointing and I have turned my prayers upward for just a few more weeks of nice weather to introduce my cutie to my favorite season.

Keep Steven in your prayers as he is applying for the police academy that would start in Jan. We are not sure whether it is too late to get him in, so we are going to have to wait to see. This would certify him for hire by a local police department and would open a world of possibilities. As most of you know he is getting his BA in Criminal Justice to hopefully someday work in investigating and taking down human trafficking. To get there he will need experience which police work will give him. It is all in God's timing, so we wait in prayerful expectation.

October holds a lot for us. Fall, friends coming in, fun, and a photo shoot for Shiloh. There are some friends of friends that will be coming this week to take pictures of her, for their project called Almost Aborted. Shiloh is one of many whose story will be told through photos and commentary. I think that it will be great, but I hope that day wont be to cold. I don't want to put my little muffin in the cold for pictures. We'll see. We are grateful for her and if her testimony thus far will bless others than we are happy to share her.

Thank you friends, we are blessed to have you!

Shiloh's Green Wig

My daughter loves to play. All her toys are in a big basket and she loves to dig down and find things to create play with. Right now one of her favorite items is a little green skirt. Although this is something that a little girl would typically wear around her waist, Shiloh has found that it serves much better as a wig. She loves for us to put it on her head and then she will proudly continue playing with her toys with her new hair do. Here are some video's of her wig.

Statistics Are In

I thought that I would throw out Shiloh's latest numbers to you so that you wont feel left out of her little life. So here goes!

As of today
She weighs 18.9 lbs

She is 29 3/4 inches long

Her head is 17 1/2 in in cir.

She can take up to 7 steps at a time

She eats 3 meals with snacks in between.

She had her last bottle this morning. Sippy cups all the way.

She uses 1 pacifier in her crib for sleep, and 1 on a string for crisis moments

She can say 4 words well and tries on the rest.

She has 1 mommy and 1 daddy totally wrapped around her fingers.
:-)

I Lost This Battle

Today I stopped by a store to look for Shiloh a little red coat. It is one of my favorite thrift stores and I can hardly walk out without buying something. Well I didn't find a little red coat, but I found an infant life jacket and infant bike helmet. For those of you who know us you might be surprised that we don't already have these items. Well now that Shiloh is one we are looking to hit the outdoors with her in a big way. We have her bike seat on the bike, and now we have a great little helmet. We are big canoe people and now we have a little infant life jacket. Also we are going on a cruise in December and will need that for the ocean. Yes you heard me right, a cruise. This is a dream come true for us. We have been saving for a vacation and I found a steal online for a Norwegian cruise and started paying on it in May. It will be awesome!

Now that isn't what I lost at today. While in the store I found this great little bean bag. It was big and pink with butterflies. I thought wow this is cute but we don't need it. I decided to sit in it just to see what it was like. It was really comfy. When Shi saw me sitting in it she wanted to. Well why not, what could it hurt. Now if this were a movie I would have paused and asked for the audiences advise because this began a war. (un pause) When I picked Shi up to put her back into the cart she arched her back and started crying. These were real tears rolling down her cheeks. I buckled her in and she started trying to get out and reaching for this bean bag. I was like "what is this?" I was baffled. I had never seen a 12 mo old throw a fit like this and frankly I was blank on what to do. I tried all my discipline things trying to get her to stop to no avail. She was wailing and reaching like I had ripped her from her favorite toy ever. Well like a really dumb mom I looked at the price and thought "only $4, I could swing this". Ok right there if someone would have just knocked me up side the head I would have realized that I was majorly giving in to my daughters first fit. But I just put the thing in the cart and proceeded to check out. Well the story doesn't end there. This wasn't the fix that Shi envisions and continued to throw a fit. By this time I was checking out and talking to a friend. I without thinking, picked her up and sat her on the bean bag. Instant quiet. Laughter even. She was so happy. (Pause) This is where I lost. I gave into her little fit and set the standard for how she thinks that she gets things. Isn't hind sight lovely. (un pause) So getting her into the car was again filled with tears, arching of the back and more drama then I care for. I put the stupid bean bag in the seat next to her and she held it with her hand the whole way home. WOW.

Lesson learned.....Stay in control, don't give in, and as my friend pointed out..."it isn't bread and milk". "Drop it take care of the discipline problem, and let her earn it or leave it". Wow what was I thinking?

I Would Say This Girl Loves Purses

My mother-in -law got Shiloh a little pink bag for her birthday. Shiloh instantly figured out that it was to carry and she will carry it all over the house with her. She loves this bag so much. It is really cute so I thought that I would share a snip it with you!

Here Is Our Almost Walker

Almost Walking

Yesterday evening we went to the IHOP-KC 10 yr celebration picnic. It was a lot of fun and a whole lot of people. I love that we remember the picnic of the 7yr celebration and can see how the IHOP family has grown and how much we have changed. It was weird though pushing a stroller around instead of playing kickball or something like that. But I wouldn't trade it! While we were sitting around with friends and eating Shiloh was playing on a blanket in the grass. She stood up and took two steps to reach her daddy. Steven missed it because he had her back to him, but I saw it. It was precious. Her little waddle steps are just the beginning. I cannot believe that last 9/11 I was holding a 6lb baby in my arms that could barely keep her eyes open. Today I have a beautiful little girl that crawls, dances, squeals in delight, and is about to start cruising. It is intense. I love my little family !

PS don't worry Farrow Friends... Shiloh will be ready to see you!

What A Whirlwind

So since last Thursday I have had multiple people in my home and I think that Shiloh is getting sick of it. First Steven's parents were in town for a few days, then my parents came in on their heels and left this last Tues. Mon-Wed I went to work and then Thurs morning a friend of our that is in from Israel came to stay with us till Sunday. I feel like my home has a revolving door. I don't mind, however I see some wear and tear on poor Shiloh. Every time anyone walks by her or bends down to talk to her she clams up, looks for me and just wines. I think that with everyone picking her up and getting in her face she has just had her limit. Of course there is the matter of the top front teeth trying to break through. They are coming slow, but coming none the less. Coming up Mon. the pass of our life should settle down. I will keep her home just to let her relax bit. Shiloh is a trooper though and as social as she is I think that there is a part of her that likes to be a loner to.

Happy 1st Birthday Baby

It has been a long time, but so much has happened. First and the most important is that my daughter is now 1. She has left her infancy and entered the world of toddlerhood. She is jabbering and crawling everywhere. My in laws and parents are both in this weekend and we had a party last night. My camera ran out of memory early on so I will only post a few now and the others later.

We love all of you and thank you so much for loving on us this last year!

I Am Home

I thought that I would let all my blog readers know that I am home safely. I arrived yesterday and have been trying to catch up on my sleep. I got sick that last two days but still had to go 100% so needless to say I am absolutely exhausted. I am so glad to be back and to have my little girl back. It was so hard to leave her here. I missed you all and I will post soon.

Thank you for your love and prayers. They were felt.

Blessings

I Am Out of Here. Pray for ME!

I leave today for Haiti. Hopefully everything is where it needs to be or it will have to wait.I made a little video for Shiloh to watch while I am away and posted some new pictures of her. Email me if you want our prayer sheet.

Blessings!

3,2,1 Blast Off

I am on the count down to leaving for Haiti. I leave Wed at 3pm so the clock if ticking and I am feeling that last minute stress of packing and saying good bye. I started packing Shiloh's things, as she will be staying with friends for the first couple of days. I almost started crying. I went to Wal Mart and got the last of the things that I needed and washed towels and clothes for the fam while I am gone. I think that it is always harder for women to go away than men. Things just don't get done when we are not around. Amen..
I am going to be making baby food for Shi, making her a mommy video, finalizing packing and printing tickets off tomorrow. Among forty more things that i am not thinking of that I will remember just as I am walking out the door to go to work tomorrow. It will all come together and I will be back before you know it.

Family Photo Shoot

We were invited to be a part of an adoption calendar recently and were honored. The calendar is for the Zoe Foundation to raise money for adoptions. The photographer is a friends mom Dorian Beattie and it was so fun to have them take pictures. Here are some of the results. Steven and I had to laugh at some of the photo's because he is always making a funny face in pictures, even when he is trying not to. Hope you like them!

Join Us for a Night of Mexican Food and Fundraising!

Come join my Haiti team and me for a night of all you can eat Mexican food and Gourmet desserts to help raise funds for our missions trip to Haiti at the end of this month. We will share about what we will be doing and give you an opportunity to sow into the spiritual harvest in Haiti that is ripe!

Where: 11310 Grandview Rd. Kansas City, MO. 64137 (Across from Kings Quarters Apts)

When: Thurs Aug 13th

Why: My Haiti team needs to raise funds.

What Time: 5-8pm

$10.00 at the door

"Servant Auction"- we will be auctioning off your friends and their talents for your use to help raise money. Come if you need a handy man, a photographer, or a baby sitter.

We are preaching the gospel, working with orphans, and feeding a village. 160 orphanage nannies will hear that God loves them and how to raise up the next generation in Haiti for Christ.

It will be great fun and you wont want to miss it.

Email me for questions or to donate: kccountrygal@gmail.com

See you there!!!

To All My Committed Readers

Thank you so much for checking in on my blog from time to time. It blesses me to know that I can share what God has blessed us with and to also keep in touch with you. My life has changed so much over the last year and a half and to all who have journeyed with, thank you.

Here is a little update on life in the Cooper Home.

*I am buying my tickets to Haiti this week. Technically I am buying 8 tickets to Haiti. We are a little late because of waiting on funds, but we must buy now even if some of our team members can't come. The clock is ticking. My team is great and I feel that this trip will do more than just build on the last, but I feel that it will surpass it in the amazing things that God will do. So far there are 165 nannies and nurses coming to our training sessions. That is a great response. I have made so many divine encounters at the most random places for supplies and it keeps coming. Yesterday I sat down at the park and ended up talking to an African missionary who helps develop usable, energy saving devices for places like Haiti and Africa that I think will be used in the future with this ministry. He opened my eyes to so many things and I feel that it was divine encounter for sure. I am still raising funds for our trip and the Food For Haiti program where we feed a village every time we go. If you want to give you still can. Make the checks to Fire International and mail them to me. Email me for my address.

* We were called with a situation to adopt a little 10 mo. in Oregon a few weeks back. This sent my heart into a tale spin, but I quickly recovered to get my head in the game. For a week or so it looked like it might work. I got all the paper work to update our home study and started making phone calls. Unfortunately I haven't heard back from the lawyer and am leaving that in God's hands for now. It made me realize that God is still knocking on the door of our home and our hearts to say " Are you ready, because there are many more." Our answer is still yes.

* Steven is busier than every with school. His first midterm and paper are past. PTL! Now he is working on his Criminal Justice research paper on Human trafficking. It is intense for sure, but it is a great season for Steven once he gets the knack of it. Pray for him if you think about it. Next semester will be a doozy.

* Work for me is good. I have taken on more responsibility by agreeing to teach the staff on the short and long term effects of sexual abuse. I will have to research it and then make it teachable for a 3 hour class. This is a crazy task, but I feel that it will be very valuable in the long run. I start teaching it in October.

* Shiloh is great. She will be 11 months on Aug. 11th and I am trying to find where all this time has gone to. I have attached some videos so that you can see that my little 6lb baby has grown up. She loves things like tomatoes, plums, and avocado. She crawls really fast and took some steps with her walker yesterday. She loves to dance in the prayer room and pace with mommy. She says "hi", "da da", blows kisses and drinks from a straw. (since 8mo) There are no words to describe what our hearts feel towards this one. She is truly one sent to bring us peace, Shiloh.

Hi Everyone

There is a Stirring in our Hearts

There are so many things that can stir our hearts and in a place where so many cultures and therefore current events are blaring at us it is hard to focus on just one thing. I have never been one to focus on only one thing, and hardly can sit long enough to focus period. But when I sat down this past Sunday to listen to Benji Nolot talk about Human Trafficking it brought this stirring up in my heart again, like I was hearing this information for the first time again. This topic that is so hush hush in the main stream media and population, yet is like a kettle on the burner about to start screaming loudly... PAY ATTENTION TO ME. In every country on every Continent and even here on our own soil there are young girls and boys, men and woman who are kidnapped, traded, sold, and lost in the world of sexual slavery. They are not being traded in open markets on the sea ports of our country, they are being cargo ed in crates and dog kennels in back alley ways. They are not ship in the hundreds chained to one another in filthy ships that reek of feces and death. They are lured by seemingly innocent propositions over the Internet, stolen from their own driveways or coerced by friends and find themselves trapped without hope. These "human commodities" as their pimps think of them are gang raped, beaten, tortured, starved and coerced by all means to perform hideous acts night after night for the financial gain of mobs and Mafia types around the globe. I have hear stories of girls locked in dog kennels so small that their bodies go numb. Shoved in bottom dresser drawers, locked in closets for days and worse. Why God is this allowed? With one thought you could blow them all up and take out this evil for good. Why are these people getting away with this? I am not angry with God, but men having free will sucks sometimes for others.

There are so many thoughts and the feeling of so little that can be done. But I have hope that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. His name is Jesus and He is shedding light on this dark trade and beginning to wake His bride up to pray for the ending of another realm of slavery. There will never be total eradication of this trade till Jesus splits the sky. It is like a terrible plague that seems to be latent and hidden in the ground. But Jesus is the shepherd who left the 99 and went after the 1 lost sheep. He cares and will save as many as He can. There are people around the world who are actively getting involved by rescuing these victims and creating safe houses for them to recover in. There are others who are researching, writing, and filming documentaries to give the church something to see that will arouse their passion to pray and act on behalf of the oppressed. Steven and I are so very stirred to our core on this issue that it has changed the direction that our family is headed.

We came to KC 6 yrs ago not really knowing what we would be doing. We both have been full-time and part-time staff at the house of prayer and feel that God is continuing to lay foundations in our lives that will be who we are forever. But this last several months God has especially stirred Steven in the course that he will take for his life's work. Steven is currently working on his BA in Criminal Justice through Liberty University. With this degree he wants to investigate and break up human trafficking rings on a federal level. His first semester paper is on human trafficking and his first philosophy paper is on abortion. We are still running for God in the house of prayer, but he is able to take those burdens in his heart and the prayer to a whole new level. Just imagine a federal officer who is filled with Holy Spirit searching for human trafficking rings, and operating in a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Come Lord Come! We want to sow resources into this, time, energy, and help those who are already on this mission. Below I am posting a link to this last Sunday's message notes that I think will stir your heart. Also a picture of a book that is riveting and is available at the IHOP book store. (ihop.org)

Above all pray!!

Pray that God will shine light on this topic in the body of Christ.

Pray for revelation and divine encounter for federal agents trying to stop these rings of sex trafficking.

Pray for the victims to be restored and healed.

Pray for the pimps and captors to encounter Jesus and be saved.

Pray for doors left open, keys laying on tables and escape for many woman and children.

Pray for conviction on the hearts of men who would engage in these immoral dealings

Pray for delivers to be raised up all over the earth to rescue these ones lost without hope.

Pray for God to lay this burden on your heart to pray and to act.

Check out www.exoduscry.com to learn more and to get prayer focuses for your prayer groups.

Pass this on to as many people as you know.

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/ -----good website on human trafficking

http://ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000053924 ---Sunday's Notes

http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?ID=1000036690 ---link to find this book

There are many things that can stir our hearts, but think on this statement that pierced my heart on Sunday.

When the good Samaritan stopped to help the beaten traveler in Luke 10, the religious leaders had already passed him by and left him for dead. The good Samaritan wasn't a hero, he just saw things differently. The religious leaders had the mind set of " what would it cost me to stop and help this man"... the good Samaritan had the mind set of " what will it cost him (the traveler...the trafficked young girl...) if I don't help.

What will it cost these ones trapped if we don't pray....give.....inform....act?

Get involved somehow. Even 30 second prayers while you are on your way to work count. Be the good Samaritan. What will it cost you if you don't?

Blessings

Shiloh Update

I just thought that I would throw out a couple of pictures of Shiloh for those of you who haven't seen her lately. She is crawling around so well lately. She is very fast and sometimes her legs carrier her faster than her arms can keep up and she will do a face plant. She pulls up on everything and occasionally will let go with her hands and stand unaccompanied for a few seconds. She loves being outdoors and being in he bath tub, Her personality is so sweet and fun with an easy going disposition. She like to go swimming as long as the water isn't to cold. She is still in her "I only want mommy" phase, but once I am out of sight does well with most everyone. Today I took her in our bike wagon for the first and she loved it. She is getting so big too fast. What happened to my little 6 lb baby? She loves her daddy and juice pop sickles. She had been drinking from a straw since she was 8 mo. and has a sippy with a straw that she loves. She feeds herself small veggies like carrots and peas, and just got her taste for banana's back. That is all that I can think of now. She is a joy to be around and most everyone that watches her begs us to watch her again which makes me so happy. There are lots of babies that are cute, but I want my children o be a blessing to everyone that they meet. I hope that we are on the right track.

Blessings!

I Am Getting Closer to the Goal

My yard sale was a great success. Friday morning around 5am the weather was stormy but it calmed down by 8 am so I decided to go for it. Friday morning I made $100 and felt pretty good. Saturday morning was the same as Friday with storms and very windy but after the clouds rolled away I was out with my sales woman cap on. Business was slow at first but by 2pm I had gotten rid of most stuff and made another $60. Not bad for a stormy weekend yard sale!
Steven came home from his ministry trip to Arkansas with a gift from a dear friend for my trip as well. All totalled and coupled with a generous gift from some great friends I have raised $650. I am still short about $350, but I am confident that God will provide. Airfare is going to be about $60 dollars more than we thought but I am praying that we find a stellar deal next week.

I met with the other nurses on Saturday afternoon to hash out the outline for our teaching sessions and I am stoked about what God has given us. We all agreed that we want to start out with the message of our identity in God and give the gospel right up front. That way we will all be on the same page. Then we'll start teaching about proper care and loving on the children through the eyes of how God sees them. We will wrap the sessions up with teaching on the importance of loving touch. This will span topics like the detriments of isolation and too much crib time, to abuse, and the need of every human to be held and nurtured. We are hoping that Holy Spirit will make a way to minister to these woman about the issues of abuse in their own life and stop the cycle of abuse. I know that nothing is going to happen overnight and that these things take time, but we have to be faithful with what God gives us to do and trust that he will bring the increase and harvest. We will be demonstrating things hands on and helping the owner of the orphanage with writing policy and guidelines. There will be workers from 5 other orphanages there as well so the potential impact is huge.
My heart is really stirred in this because if we touch the nannies hearts and they are changed, it effects the children directly. God has a destiny for each orphan and these woman will play a major role in how that destiny plays out. The greatest resource we have are children. My desire for this trip is to witness to these women the love of Christ, reveal truth about the destiny of each person (but especially the children), to give solid teaching that will impact the physical well being of the children, and to lay a foundation for change that will be felt not only physically, but also in their souls. I will be giving more details as we get closer to the date of the trip.

Please pray for revelation and open hearts to receive truth. The Haitian people are a proud and sometimes obstinate people. I love them, yet I know what we are facing going in as Americans telling them to do things another way. We are preparing to go in as servants even to the point of washing their feet to let them know that we are there to serve them and to give them keys to fullness. Pray that Holy Spirit will flood their hearts with light and that truth will pierce them like an arrow.

Thank you for praying.

If you would like to give towards this trip, or towards feeding the poor on the streets of Haiti:
email me at kristicooper@ihop.org and I will send you my address. I don't think that I should post it here. There is a way for tax-deduction as well.

Blessings!

Come to my yard sale!!

I am having a yard sale to raise money for my Haiti trip! I have some furniture, lots of girl baby clothes, some toddler clothes, and kitchen stuff. I will be holding the sale today and tomorrow (Fri. & Sat.) weather permitting from 8am- 2pm. Come by and browse or just to say Hi.

Blessings!

Shiloh Pics

Here is a picture that I took the other day when I harvested my first veggi, aka cucumber from our garden in the backyard. It was delicious as you can see. Isn't my little pickle so beautiful! :-)

Haiti Update

I am so stoked about what God is going to do this August when I along with my friend James take our team to Haiti. God is really in this and He is pouring out revelation and His heart to my team. We had our first meeting last Sunday and it was precious to hear what God has been saying to each member and what we are all bringing to the table is amazing. Here is a little line up/ prayer roll call for you to get to know my team.

Leaders
James
Myself

Nurses:
Myself
Whitney > We will be training on basic care of infants and children to first aid and even life saving basics.
Jennifer

Worship Leader
Joy

Photographer
Chelsea

Intercessor
Tim
James

Everyone is a key and at all times everyone will be interacting and teaching whether it be medical, spiritual, practical, or just loving on these kids. All the teaching will be centered around God's destiny for each child and the staffs responsibility to pray for these children. We will try to impart the concept of laying down our lives for the next generation to know Jesus. God is really laying a foundation in my heart for the turning of the tide type movement starting with orphans. He is serious about reaching the next generation, because they will have to stand under more pressures than any other generation and not deny Jesus. First off they need to know Jesus and that when you believe and pray that things change.

Please pray for finances, health, revelation, and for the pastors and leaders in Haiti to be anointed with the Malachi 4 heart of God.
Blessings

Where Will Shiloh Be

Some of you are wondering where my little Shiloh will be while I am away. I have the answer to that much debated question..... auntie Debbie and uncle Steve's house of course. Steve and Debbie Banderman are well worth a post or two in my opinion and so I thought that for those of you who are not familiar with them I would introduce Shiloh's pseudo aunt and uncle. When Steven and I were adopting Shiloh we had to stay in Kansas for two weeks waiting for all the paperwork to go through. We were looking for somewhere to stay close to KC and our friend Tracie Loux highly recommended the Banderman's. Though strangers to us at the time we were grateful to have a home close to home. The moment that we entered their house they did not stop treating us like family and even gave up their master bedroom so that we would have our own bathroom. They adopted us and loved on us like our family would have. Speaking of, the Banderman's also allowed our family to come and stay with us at their house for a weekend to get to meet Shiloh. They were absolutely amazing!!!!! After we were able to go home the Banderman's continued to offer their friendship and babysitting services and we adapted the names auntie Debbie and uncle Steve for them as Shiloh's honorary family. The Banderman's have two teenage sons that are just as amazing (they take after their parents love, kindness and general coolness) and they love Shiloh like a little sister. It is truly amazing that God has placed them in our lives. They have their foster certificate and in a way fostered us and helped us have a beginning. We love them and cherish them for life! There is so much more to say about this lovely, godly family that I feel that words are not enough. They are servants and have committed to the spirit of adopting in everyway. THey are people of the word, and people of compassion. Many have a great testimony about these ones and I know that many more will have as well. Check out their blog and learn more about them. I know that you will love them to.http://pursuedbylove.wordpress.com/

So there is a little run down on who Shiloh will have to keep her company, as well as her beloved daddy Steven. Shiloh and Steven have a very special bond and they have a blast together. If you think of it say a little prayer for Shiloh as mommy will be away for 5 days, that her heart will feel secure and that all will go well with her.

Blessing

I'm Going To Haiti In August

I am officially leading my second team to Haiti the last week in August. This will be my third time to Haiti and my second time to Port-au- Prince. We will be teaching/ equipping orphanage workers in Port-au-prince on topics ranging from basic hygiene and infant care to Malachi 4:5,6 and God's destiny for children. This ministry to the orphans is near and dear to my heart and after being in this particular orphanage last year, it is very needed. We are sowing seeds of love, destiny, and practical safety into the next generation and praying for a harvest of revival in Haiti. Haiti is a land filled with beauty and devastation. A land of island culture and African voodoo. There is a long history of Satan worship in the form of voodoo and even child sacrifice. But in all of this we have been seeing seeds turn into blossoms in the hearts of some of the pastors and leaders there and it is very encouraging. On my last trip there we held a conference where we say major healing and repentance and the birth of a small weekend house of prayer. This is huge!!!!
Now as we continue to pray and labor for the fullness of God to be manifest, we are also encouraging those involved with us in Haiti to reach out and put James 1:27 into action in there own country. To sow into the orphans and even to adopt them, to raise them in an environment of loving Jesus and seeking Him with their whole hearts.

I along with a couple of nurses will be focused on training the nannies in the orphanage on basic care of the infants and try to undo some very bad and dangerous habits. We will intermingle all of our teaching with principals of loving like Jesus and speaking life and destiny over these little ones. The others will be focused on praying over each child, holding them, and prophesying. It is going to be awesome and I know that this is heavy on God's heart.

Please join me in praying for my remaining finances ($700) to come in by July 25th. This is for airfare, food and lodging. Also pray for a spirit of revelation, as I am writing curriculum to be taught in other orphanages near by in Port- au- Prince . Pray for my team that we would have God's heart and for health and safety.

If you want to donate please email me at kristicooper@ihop.org

Thanks!

I wanted to die faster so He gave me opportunity

My last post I was ranting about how I wanted to surrender faster and in the perfect heavenly humor, God helped me out a little. Shiloh has had a cold this week and with her snotty nose, coughing and crying in the middle of the night I haven't gotten much sleep. That compounded with having to work till 11pm and getting up at 7am to feed her, I needed a lot of humility and meekness to get through it. (gentleness to, pretty much Matthew 5,6,7) I was begging Steven to get up with her and he had to be at IHOP at 5 :30 and was begging me to let him sleep a little longer. It was a sad sight. Needless to say that where I lack in the grace and humility Benadryl and Delsym made up. Everyone needed sleep in my house by Thursday and I believe God gave the wisdom for these medications for a reason, if not for my personal sanity.
So lesson learned...be careful what you ask for!

On A More Serious Note

This is random so just be warned.

I haven't really written anything serious, other than the post of Shiloh that are seriously cute. But in all "seriousness"... I have much on my mind and was wondering if anyone else was thinking that same things. I read other blogs here and there and sometimes I read things that stir me and I think in my head "yeah me too." Like the other day as I was reading a fellow mother's post about how motherhood is a death to self. Man alive that is an understatement and I only have one child. Motherhood is death101 and continues into master degree level with every child. Areas that you thought you had grasp on only resurface in the most surprising ways when you child start waking up at ungodly hours of the night or morning. Ideas of how your life will be like quickly whisk out the window when you bring in baby schedules and your so called spontaneous lifestyle dies like tulips in late spring. All that is left are the unattractive stalks that later are cut away. Don't misread me here for the death is a sweet surrender as you come into the realization that this death is unto new life. Not only are you breathing in the Sermon on the Mount (for sanity and for saintliness) but you are also preparing the soil of your children for your greatest sermon called "everyday life in God" by Me,Your Mom. We are the ones that will teach them to pray, to read the Word, to listen to God's voice and how to handle situations. That will take all of God in us and therefore He has to rid us of all that is not Him. So when I read her blog I was so stirred that I resolved myself to die faster. Now having said that... dying faster is not as easy as I thought, since I thought I was more surrendered than I am. :-)

Then I read a post by a brilliant friend about the pro life movement and thought that I would share it with you. It is by Randy Bohlender (randybohlender.com) and it made me want to call tomorrow the get our home study updated and immediately adopt again.
How did we become a group of people collectively professing one thing while denying it with our behavior? I think it is because we’ve grown past traditional pro life approaches to activism. We have our convictions, but we’re probably not the sign carrying sort. We’re angry about the issue of abortion, but we’re not angry at people. We’re dead serious about ending abortion, but we’re not the shootin’-people kind. We’re too convinced to stop voicing our disagreements, but we’re too intellectually honest to do so without providing some proactive response of our own.
If the pro-life movement doesn’t start providing it’s new-found constituency with some proactive responses to abortion, it will squander it’s toe-hold on the wall of debate. We may be a few points up on the Gallup Poll, but if we try and convince our new slim majority to join us in the same old song and dance, we will have squandered what could only be considered divine momentum.
We spent most of 2005 working with what I now understand to be a vanguard of the much-needed New Life movement.
Bound4Life had began a few months earlier as a prayer meeting in front of the Supreme Court and has continued as such. It’s so counter intuitive to normal rational that both pro-life and pro-abortion types have a tendency to misunderstand it. This movement of prayer meetings – not protests – has spread across the nation via hundreds of chapters in nearly every state in the union. Their ‘Think Fast’ campaign challenges high school kids to skip lunch on Fridays to fast and pray for the ending of abortion. Through this movement and other prayer movements, the American church is discovering how proactive prayer really can be.
The New Life Movement must go even further – to answer the legitimate challenges of our critics.
Something we heard a lot while in DC was “If these babies are not aborted….what happens to them? They’re still unwanted!’
Our recent endeavor, The Zoe Foundation, is another example of the sort of movement that is necessary to engage these newcomers to the Life Tribe. Pledging to adopt children who might otherwise be aborted is a step towards providing an answer to the legitimate question ‘what about unwanted kids?’.
Until the church can pledge to be pro-child, it’s really not pro-life. We’re not challenging people to adopt so they can fill their soccer team out or find another child that completes their set. We want people to adopt as a prophetic declaration to God, Satan, and all those who serve either side that there will be no unwanted children on our watch.
I’m elated that we’ve managed to develop a slim majority in one of the most visceral discussions of our time. I only hope we can turn the tide of newly converted pro-lifers to a life of pro-activism that goes far beyond signs and shouting. This may be our only chance.
Did you read that? I mean come on... I want to rush out and buy a huge house so that I can take them all in. It may be pretty or it may be pretty ugly, but no matter it is God's heart. If I truly want His will to be my food and air than this is it. Is. 58 says it all, James 1:27...really the whole bible. How can we not be active when every child is an image bearer, a dream of His heart....?
So these are two things that I was thinking on and that stirred me. Maybe you are thinking the same thing?

Just thought that I would share a few newer pictures and also pay a tribute to my dad since Father's Day is right around the corner. This year is very special for my dad, as he will be spending Father's Day with not just his only daughter (me), but his first and only granddaughter. He adores Shiloh and she likes him to, though I wished she could see him more. I recently went home for a wedding and got to have breakfast with my parents before they went out of town. It was awesome to see Shiloh with my dad. She even gave him a little love as we were leaving the restaurant. He was holding her and she put her head on his shoulder. It was very sweet for my dad since he doesn't get to hold her very often. When they come up this coming weekend we are planning on hanging out, the boys might shoot some guns, and then my parents are treating us to a pro baseball game her in KC. It is the Royals vs. the Cardinals. I am not much of a sports fan, but it is a fun experience to have with my family. It will be great to spend this Father's day with my two favorite guys and their "first" on Father's Day.

Please Pray for My Friends

I just received the call that my friend Misty in St. Louis has gone to be with Jesus. She will not suffering anymore. Please pray for her teenage children Carter and Alyssa, and for her family to be comforted in this. It has been a very difficult 7 yrs for them. Though the pain of illness is no more, the pain of loss is still very near.

Jesus you have our dear friend Misty. Thank you that you are perfect in Your leadership over our lives. That we can trust in You. Let Misty's family now trust in you. Let them find comfort in Your mercy over Misty and over their lives. Let her children feel your presence in a real way tonight. Let all the unfinished business be settled in love and kindness and Father be with all who mourn tonight. Amen~

Wow!

Sorry that I seem to have left my post for a while. So much has happened in a week I can hardly catch my breath to tell you. Here goes though....
Shiloh came down with fevers starting last weekend and by Wed. evening they were at 103/ 104 and holding. They had gotten that high, but I was able to get them back down. This worried me and though I am a nurse my brain went dead and my heart was in a panic. I called the urgent care nurse line and thank the Lord that as the nurse was talking I realized again that I indeed have a degree and was doing that right stuff. The next morning seemed to be a turning point and Shiloh perked up and started eating again. Great, since I was leaving Friday morning for a wedding in Arkansas. Friday morning came and as I was getting Shiloh ready I noticed this lovely rash taking over Shiloh's chest. I text a picture to my doctor and the P.A called back to tell me what she thought I should do. So I proceeded to AR. with my little rash unhappily strapped in. At the wedding she was fussy and as all my attempts to keep her entertained we failing I resigned myself to the entry of the church till the wedding was over. Yup I drove 4. 5 hours to stand in the entry way and miss the wedding. Oh well! Mothers you understand.
While I was talking once the wedding was over I realized that I had a voicemail. I listened and it was my doctor telling me that I needed to have Shiloh seen right away for strep. He had seen the picture and was worried. She was more fussy and the rash had spread so I got a little nervous. Thankfully my mother is a microbiologist at a local hospital in AR and ran the test for me to see if Shiloh has strep. It was negative so my mom being the get it done type, took Shiloh in her arms and headed down to the E.R. to have her looked at by a Dr. That was great since we were out of state and any Dr. would be really expensive. He looked at her "off the books" and said it was fifths disease a viral illness that would need to run its course. PTL!!
So after I left the hospital around 9pm I went to my in-laws and put the little lamb to bed. The next afternoon we headed for KC again. I was tired and irritated at the whole weekend and couldn't wait to get home. Half way home I received a phone call that a friend in St. Louis who has had a terminal illness for several years was dying and could we come and say good bye. She has been waiting for a transplant and now her kidney's and liver are shutting down so she was taken off the transplant list for good. Having that diagnosis she decided to stop the life sustaining drugs and go in peace. So I got home around 11pm on Sat. and on Sun we left for St. Louis around 10am. Needless to say that Shiloh wasn't happy to be going in the car seat again, but her rash had faded and she is a good sport, so little to no fussing occurred. PTL!! We got to the hospital in St. Louis around 3pm and stayed till 8pm visiting with our friend. To say the least it was sad and weird to being telling your friend good bye even though she didn't appear to be dying. She looked very ill, but not more than usual. Her family was there along with her children and friends. I am very sad for Misty, but she feels peace about this. She has suffered greatly the last 7 yrs with this illness and I have seen a beautiful woman shrivel. That is more painful that the thought of her at peace with Jesus. It seems a better way.
Though I was glad to be there,trying to keep Shiloh happy and off the floor was a task to be sure. I was relieved when we headed to the place we were staying for a well needed night of rest. This morning we woke up at 6:30am to be at the hospital by 8:30am when she was scheduled to stop all the life support measures. Well as hospitals go things we delayed and when we left at 10 am nothing had changed. Honestly we were glad that we didn't have to watch her dying. I never liked the oncology ward during nursing school because I can't stand to see people die, much less a friend.
So we got back into KC this afternoon at 3pm and I had to be at work at 3:30pm. I cannot wait to touch my head to my pillow tonight. I promised Shiloh that I wouldn't put her in the car seat tomorrow no matter what. I am sure that if she could understand me, she would be breathing a sigh of relief. :-)
SO in a nutshell that is what I have been up to. To be sure a boring week is welcomed in our home and a restful coming weekend is on our prayer list.