WEDNESDAY

It started out frazzled.
Cece forgot her clarinet.
Anthony got off to school on a sour note.
Rudy had to work and I had the worst hair day ever (!)
Maddie's dog refused to go outside.
I couldn't sleep.

Stay focused on the CROSS.
It's pouring rain outside.
JESUS.
I check my voicemail. It's Shawna. Praying for me. Just thought I might need prayer so she leaves me one that says, "for grace, strength, restoration." Oh, that Shawna~ always knows at the moment what I need. She had even said she was praying for our new home before we even gave it a thought... I like to kid her and ask her what she's praying for me now because God always answers and she prays some really great things over my life!

Beatrice.
Tuesday night before the RAVEN Broadcast, Michelle comes over.
She writes a check to buy groceries for Beatrice.
Talk about being moved to tears.
I go to my favorite store (grocery outlet) and the LORD stretches the money like you wouldn't believe. The cart is FULL and the minivan gets packed! I go to Beatrice's home in Papago Ct and give her the rent money. I tell her not to thank me because it's from JESUS and that's what HE DID and then I tell her that I need some help getting the groceries out of the car. We go to the car and her husband says, "which bag?" Maybe he thought I was there to do our usual weekly outreach~ and each family takes 1 bag~ and I said, "all of it?!" He looks at me, "todo?" "YES! ALL OF IT!"
He's bewildered and SO GRATEFUL.
They praise JESUS together~ we pray~ and because I forgot to buy butter I give them some extra (thanks Pastor Rudy) and tell them to go buy some butter!!! You can't have pancakes without butter!!!! That's not God's plan!!!

I go to pick up the girls from school because my dad mentioned the night before the tribe may want to kick down some money for toys and if it's anything like the homeless gift I'm thinking I need to be prepared! As I'm at the school in the crosswalk my sister drives up and she says, "I've got more toys from MEXICO, I'm on the way to your house! I motion for her to flip a uturn and put them in my minivan as I'm on the cell w/ Karen. She does~ more toys given from preschool children in Windsor! PRAISE GOD!

I had done a photo shoot for the daughter of my sister's friend a couple months ago for her senior portraits~ at the time she wanted to pay me and I had told her to just buy toys for Mexico. She instead had her entire Christian preschool collect toys~ it's bigger than we think.

I get the girls in the school office and the principal comes out and says, "do you think the girls could write an article about this for January?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME? EVANGELIZE for the district newsletter that goes out to public school families? Sure, I say (!!!!!!!!!!) It's bigger than we think.

We then drive to the mall to pick up some bball things for Anthony (he's in a tournament in Sacramento today)~ and run into another mom who says, "why aren't you girls in school?" Maddie goes on to tell her about Mexico and outreach!
It's bigger than we think.

We get the things dropped off to Anthony's car and pop home for a quick 30 minute (if that) pause in our day~ My dad calls~
Lori, can you meet me at Wal Mart in Windsor right now?
Sure, I'll be right there!
Got there~
He hands me 20 gift cards.
Dad?
Yep, that's $10,000 for toys.
Gulp.
20, $500 giftcards.
Oh, and sign here.
Dad?
You are now the authorized buyer for Dry Creek Rancheria~ when you sign this card give it to the checker before she rings and you don't have to pay sales tax.
GULP.
How much do you want me to spend today?
How about $5,000.
What am I buying?
Toys~ and just make sure you get some toys to: and he names off contacts.
WOW.
Eight long hours later~
the box truck is full of over 1,000 toys for Sonoma County and
Humboldt County kids!
Praise the LORD.
That means...
RAVEN WEST COAST is going from Point Arena, California to the reservation in the north all the way to the garbage dumps of Tijuana to the south for Christmas!
JESUS.
After shopping we came home to more toys my sister bought and brought by in addition to my full car earlier~ we walk into the house and my mom's friend all the way from Alameda County left toys on my table and mom was able to witness to her through the pictures from the UGO4GOD yearbook~ I called my dad to say thanks. He said, get ready to help spend the next $5K Monday and Tuesday. GULP. Okay, dad~ as in, dad my dad and JESUS my dad!

This morning Rudy showed me how to open the box truck~ I just had to see what the LORD brought because when it got loaded last night at Wal Mart it was dark. It is FULL. Brian Bennett~ how did you know we needed the truck that bad? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BOX TRUCK!!! We'll keep filling it up as long as the LORD allows!

The box truck is full for next week~ the garage, trailer and my living room is full for Mexico. My heart~ it's so full~ LET'S GO! We need to pray for the RAVEN JET~ 'cuz we need help. As I came back from dropping off Anthony at school, Shayne drove up~ more toys. More testimony~ and it's all about Mexico. I got the girls off to school and picked up the mail that I didn't even have time for yesterday. Guess what?

There are 5 "items" at the post office from Pastor Brandon Romero of RAVEN Southwest~ so, I just took a moment to get this blogged~ I have a feeling Pastor Brandon mailed some toys for Mexico! Is that GOD? It most surely is.


Lord, I amazed by you.
I don't know how, I don't know why, I am just amazed at your will.
I feel so unworthy, unprepared... but I give you my day and I thank you for the family and friends you have surrounded me with to encourage and uplift me when I feel so inadequate!
Forgive me that I forget moment by moment just HOW BIG YOU ARE.
This week was supposed to be about TJ~
and I'm already planning on what to do next week~ last Thursday night in Apple Valley when the mommies were praying for Gloria's family with us a couple asked me if we were going to bring toys for Christmas. I said "no, we're taking toys to Mexico~ and they said, oh, that's so good because the kids there really need them." My heart broke and when they asked if they knew anyone they could call to get toys for their kids I gave them Rudy's cell #~ :)
And they laughed~ and Rudy had to hear me say over and over, "they don't have any toys!" And so we all prayed that there would be toys... and now, there are so many for Santa Rosa, I can't believe it.
It is WAY bigger than I could have ever imagined!

I would like to thank Karen Donaghy, Obadiah & Malachai Donaghy for shoppin' til we were droppin! What fun we had, I'm not sure what the final count of shopping carts we ended up with but it was dozens! I will post (try to) pics of yesterday.

I very much want to thank my daughters, Maddie and Cece.
Had it not been for you looking up at dad and I with those big brown eyes and asking us last fall why we weren't feeding hungry children here... then I probably wouldn't be available to do God's work today... yesterday... tomorrow. I want to thank you both for witnessing and leading children and adults to Christ at your public school~ in Wal Mart aisles, across the toughest neighborhoods and as far away as Mexico. I look so forward to taking your hands as you lead me out of the USA for the first time ever! You two, I love you bigger than the sky.

Pastor Rudy, what a life! Can you believe what the Lord has done?
I love you. Thank you for helping my life be way bigger than I ever thought.
TAKE ME TO MEXICO!
Here am I! Send me!