Dusting Off The Cobwebs Here

Hi friend!

Here I am back at Miss Maribel's Place. I'm dusting off the cobwebs, looking around and thinking of using this place again.

You see I thought that starting a third blog to advocate for sweet Tobie during RR's 2012 Christmas Angel Tree was kinda crazy. And guess what!? It actually was.

So, I've imported those posts to my place here and closed that third blog. {Thank you Blogger for this tool for crazy people like me.} There were only eight posts and I've re-titled them with RR Angel Tree Post # .

What I've also done is create a tab at Finding Hope & Joy  for here at Miss Maribel's Place. FH&J  is my main home in bloggy land. So by clicking on that little tab you'll be able to hop over here to Miss Maribel's Place and peek in on what's new.

Other than that I'm not sure where I'm headed with my two place in bloggy land. But, it sure feels good. The upkeep on three places was too much for me.

Sometimes simple is better.

Love ya friend!

Some Changes {it's all good}

Just a quick hello and wanted to let you know I'm changing things up a bit.

First of all, I'm taking a break from writing here at Miss Maribel's Place.

I'm finally diving in and starting to set up my etsy shop. Because I work full time, all my spare time is needed to get my shop up and running.  My target date was 10/11/12, but is now more realistically looking like it will be around Nov. 1st.

And it's all good - I'm busy making a few items for friends and family. I'm also making a couple of quilts and a pillow for adoption fundraisers. So that gives me great ideas of what I'd want (or not want) to sell in my shop. Plus, I get lots and lots of practice and learning new techniques.

Did you know that I have another blog - Finding Hope & Joy.  I've noticed that many times, what I'm wanting to share is something that would be appropriate on either of my blogs. And that makes it silly to have two. Especially since it's hard enough to find time to post on one. I may try to combine them at some point after the first of next year. Still trying to figure that out.

Even though I won't be writing here at MMP for the next few months, I'll still do what I can to help families
bring their sweet ones home to their forever families.

Hope you'll visit me over at Finding Hope & Joy where I like to share life to encourage you.
The address is: debgab.blogspot.com

Blessings to you friend!

PS ~ Hope you remember to watch for my Grand Opening at missmaribelsplace.etsy .com and please keep in mind that my quilts, pillows and other items make wonderful gifts. I mean Christmas is right around the corner don't ya know. *wink*

Bittersweet News

So friend, I have some bittersweet news about Miss Maribel.

This morning I was thinking about how I could help continue to spread the word about Maribel's adoption in hopes of having friends join in by praying, sharing with others and even giving to her adoption grant at RR.

I went ahead and messaged Ashely via Facebook to let her know about a post I want to do this year around Mother's Day. Ashley wrote me back to let me know that Maribel will not be coming home to live with them. Her biological family has taken her back home to live with them.

And friend, I don't know what to say. {I'm usually not ever at a loss for words.} This has taken me by surprise.

Honestly, I have so many mixed-up emotions.
I'm sad for Ashley and Seth.  So very sad.
Happy that Maribel gets to live with her biological family and stay in her homeland.  
Hopeful for her future. Sad I won't get to know about it via good old Facebook.

We'll never know why she was placed in the orphanage or why her family has reclaimed her. Or even why now.

Ashley is amazing. Here is part of what she wrote me: "The only comfort I have about this is that God has a plan for her. We are still praying and will continue to pray for her-that this is God's will and that she will have a good life with her biological mother."

Part of my message back was - "I don't understand.... but I have learned that we don't always understand what happens in life. All we can do is stand on our faith that God knows what has happened and He is indeed in control."

So, even though I have more questions than answers and more bitter than sweet I will trust in the One who is watching over sweet Miss Maribel tonight as He has every night.

And yes, Ashley, I do believe that the Lord has a plan for her life.

A Baby Step

Today I've taken another step in following my God-sized dream! A dream I wrote about at "Finding Hope & Joy" last summer. {FH&J is my other little place here in bloggy land}

So, today I've created a Facebook page called "Miss Maribel's Place". It's just a place to let friends know about the quilts, pillows and home decor items that I enjoy making. 

It's not much. But, it's a start.
A baby step sized start, but a start nonetheless.

As I pursue this dream I am learning to let God lead. And honestly, that is one of the hardest things I'm learning. I joke that I am my family's OFP. I'm the self-titled Official Family Planner. And as such what can I say? I have plans people!

Plans of what to sew, modge-podge, paint and make.
Plans of what my etsy shop should look like.
Plans for a whole product line and it's tag line.
Plans. Plans. Plans.

It can start to drive me crazy because life just doesn't keep up with my plans. Not to mention there aren't enough hours in the day to fit all these plans in.

And that's where trusting and following God's lead is oh so helpful. In fact, that's where my One Word for 2012 ~ PEACE ~ falls right into place. When I wait until He reveals His plan and follow it - it brings me peace. No frustration, hassle or ggrrrrrr from my lips. Just calm knowing that He knows best.

So for now, it's just this baby step.
And the next? Continuing to sew quilts and pillows.
And after that? I don't know. But He does.

I plan  ( *giggle* there I go planning again *wink* ) on sharing with you the awesome ways God has been  providing some of the materials for my quilts and projects.

There are some pictures on my Miss Maribel's Place Facebook page of the things I've made so far. Go ahead and visit me there if you'd like.

Miss Maribel's Mommy

Yay! We finally know who sweet Maribel's mommy will be.

Her name is Ashley. She is married to Seth. They have three adorable little girls. Love it that Maribel will have three sisters!!

We also know where she will be moving to - western Pa.

OK... I admit that I'm a bit disappointed, because I was so hoping her family would live in sunny Florida. But hey, they're in the same time zone. And yea, that's being selfish. {don't judge people  - that little sweetie has stolen my heart} Truly, though I'm just so thankful that Maribel will have a wonderful family to love her forever.

Ashley has started a blog titled "The Right Kinda Crazy" to keep us updated about their progress on getting Maribel home.

If you're interested you can follow their adoption journey at: http://therightkindacrazy.blogspot.com/

Please be in prayer for them as they seek God's timing, wade through the stacks of paper work and raise the money needed to bring Maribel home.

I'll keep you updated on any fundraisers they may have. And you can always go to Maribel's page on Reece's Rainbow if you'd like to donate to her adoption grant. 

I'm hoping that Ashely will allow me the privilege of making Maribel a quilt. Oh that would be such a joy!

And We're Waiting.....

And we're still waiting. Bummer!
I really thought by now we'd know.

Nope. Not yet.

Nothing new has been posted about who Miss Maribel's family will be.

I have to admit I check the Reece's Rainbow site a few many times a day.

It's great to see all the new commitments that have been made to so many of these precious ones. I rejoice with each of these families. But, so far, nothing has been posted about who has committed to Maribel. She is still on the My Family Found Me page.

That is good, I guess.

Hopefully, it will not be too much longer.

In the mean time I'm praying for them, for the process they have to go through on their adoption journey and of course for sweet Maribel.

Hope you'll join me in praying for them, too. 

Did you hear the news?! MFFM

MFFM!

Oh happy day!!!

My
Family
Found
Me


Yep! It's true!
I just found out the other night that precious, sweet Miss Maribel's forever family has found her!

I smiled and had tears in my eyes as I read the news.
I wanted to laugh and cry.
Jump and clap.
And even do a little happy dance.

However, I was just so overwhelmed that all I could do was sit there in awe of what this means for Maribel. And whisper a prayer to the One who has answered our prayers and always seems to leave me in awe when He shows Himself faithful.

Than my thoughts started spinning....
Who is this family?
Might they live nearby?
Have they adopted before?

How can I help?
Gotta make a quilt.
Make pillows and wall hangings to sell.
Have a giveaway.
Tell friends & family.
Get that etsy shop going.

I can't wait until Reece's Rainbow has Maribel's family listed on their "New Commitment" page. Hopefully by then the family should have a blog page so we can follow their journey of rescuing sweet Miss Maribel.

Come on friend - do a little happy dance with me. And whisper a prayer of thankfulness to the One who is forever faithful.

Who Me?

Sometimes I feel so silly (even discouraged) thinking I can make any kind of difference with this little place in blog land. Even more outlandish is the dream I have of creating an Etsy shop to help raise money for Maribel's adoption grant and to help advocate for other orphans. 

Who me?
Inspire others to advocate for orphans by writing here in blog land?
I'm really not one to join causes. No marches or sit-ins for me.
I mean, I've never even written my Congressman.

Who me?
Make money by selling items I make? On Etsy?
Just a year ago I didn't even know what an Etsy was.
Can I find any extra time in my day - any day - to make things to sell?

Honestly, it all seems a bit far fetched, silly and like......
....well,  like "just a dream".

However, this dream is just not going away. I can "see" the things I want to make and sell. I can feel the compassion for these little ones who don't have a voice. I have a desire to help families raise funds for their child's adoption.

So friend what do I do?


There are two things that inspire me to keep dreaming.

First, I think of my friend, Lindy - she chases her dreams. She is actually pretty amazing. She's one of those people who doesn't just dream a dream. She makes her dreams happen.

Lindy has a saying on her blog that I just love:
Even if you live to be 100  - life is short.
Do something lasting with yours.

So, who knows?! Maybe my "something lasting" is making this dream of mine a reality. Hey, I've got just less than 50 more years to go until I make it to 100.


There is also the quote of Mother Teresa's that I have at the bottom of my blog:
"Not all of us can do great things.
But we can do small things with great love."

And it's true. Maybe my dream is silly small, but I can do it with great love.


From now on instead of saying - "Who me?"
I'm gonna start saying -  "Yea me!" 
Because, I want to do something with my life. Something lasting that's done with great love.