I want to thank you all for your support with what Sharyline Cochran and I are trying to do to help global orphans. I’ve been popping about the web, visiting my loving blog hosts, reading y’all’s encouraging comments telling me you voted. Who knows if we’ll win the $5,500 dollars for Gothreads and The Raining Season, but even if we don’t, my prayer is that you’ve met two great ministries and you’ve paused to contemplate how you might help.

This morning I wrote a letter to an orphan friend in El Salvador. In it, I shared a bit about our move and my daughter’s concerns. I started to tell her about how God showed me I was to be my daughter’s friend, then stopped. This young girl doesn’t have a mom to help her during tough transitions, to hold her during lonely nights. Would my mention of the relationship my daughter and I bring her pain? I chose to err on the side of caution and avoided that topic.

I can’t give this girl or any of the other orphans in our world a mom, but I can find a way to join what God’s doing. Will you join me?

For those of you who’d rather skip the posts and head straight to Mary Kay’s for voting, follow this link. But please, no laughing when you see my mug shot. Or at least, if you do get a chuckle or two, don’t tell me about it. Thanks!

Here are a few more bloggers who’ve hosted me this week. Much thanks to them! (And if you missed the previous bloggers and posts, you can find them here.)

At Phyllis Wheeler’s blog: When my daughter was young, I spent a great deal of time shining up the inside and outside of our house. I wrapped so much of who I was in what others could see. Pretty ugly, huh? God thoughts so, and as I grew closer to Him, He redirect my heart to things of greater value—eternal value. (Read more here.)

At Dicky To’s:
Last summer, I spoke with a woman regarding the number of homeless children in our world. I had just finished mailing a package to orphans in El Salvador, and my heart was burdened not only for these young girls, but for the countless other children worldwide in similar situations. I’m not sure what kind of response I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I received. (Read the rest here.)

At Inkwell Inspirations:
“When most of us think of Sodom and Gomorrah, our minds jump to sexual sin. Isn’t that how we treat most sins? It’s easy to think of the “big ones” like sexual immorality and murder, overlooking those “minor” offenses like selfishness, slander, and greed. But does God follow a similar classification?” (Read the rest here.)

And a fun “character tour” from a novel inspired by my time with orphans: “Hello, I’m Irma, from Jennifer Slattery’s novel, Never Forsaken. I am Fatima’s best friend. Or should I say, I was. I haven’t seen her in some time, ever since I … (deep inhale, followed by a slow exhale) it is not for me to say.” (To read the rest, follow this link then click on “blog.”)

At Patricia Dyers--loved her intro, which I’ll paste here. But be sure to pop by her blog to read the post in its entirety: My Bible reading this morning was in the book of Psalms. The first couple of verses: “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth;” Psalm 41: 1-2(NKJV). (Read the rest here.)