Why did my mom not keep me?

It's hard to believe it's been 6 years since we were in China. Allie, is the oldest of the Tongling 12 and she turned 8 on September 20. Tomorrow, Sept 29, is the day that she was found. I think about her birth mom a lot this time of year.

We have had some interesting conversations about our family. One day Allie asked questions about her older siblings (age 31 and 27). She asked, "what is a step sister?" I explained that she and her older sister, Sarah, have the same dad but a different mom. Allie was quiet than asked, "Do I have a step-mom in China?" I replied, "No, you have a biological mom in China." We talked about how Jeff, our 11 year son, grew in my tummy; but Allie do not grow in my tummy.

Then she asked the kicker. . . "Why did my mom not keep me?" WOW

I paused and said, "I don't know...I believe that she loved you very much, but maybe she couldn't take care of you." Then I told her story about another mom who loved her baby boy very much, but the government was trying to hurt the little boy. The mom, and the boy's bigger sister did what they could to protect the little guy, but the mom eventually let another family raise and care for her son, so that he was safe. That little boy was named Moses.

My husband does a lot of teasing inn our family. One day, Allie teasingly called me, "My not real mom." I laughed at her and responded back, "yes, my real daughter!"

She's beginning to grasp the concept of adoption. Just interesting conversations that often leave me "pondering things in my heart!"

Prayer Walk - Teaching our kids

Often when we come to church and our kids go one way and moms and dads go another. Seldom are we together to learn what it means to “shadow God and heal the world.” We believe kids learn best through example and know that parents are actually the most important influence in a kid’s spiritual life, so here is a great opportunity for you and your kids to be together.

Sunday, May 15 - 1-4 pm. You can come any time between these hours to walk. My family and I will be at Queens school at 1p to walk, if anyone wants to join us. Drop me a line if you plan to join me and my family at 1p. (lori.tate@westwinds.org )

What do you do on a prayer walk? Families are asked to come and prayer as you walk around the designated blocks. I would suggest as you walk, that you simply notice the neighborhood. You can say aloud for your kids to hear (not shouting!), “God, I pray that there is laughter and love in this home.” “Thank you God for a safe place to live,” “We pray for people who are sick or hurting, help them know that you love them God,” “God, please keep the kids safe in this neighborhood.” etc.

WHERE: Our “city block” is Morrell (south); West St. (east); Franklin (north); and Higby (west). You can walk around the perimeter “city block” as well as along the internal streets. You can park along the road or perhaps at Queens school/church. This walk will be approximately 15-25 minutes, depending upon how fast you walk! When you are done walking, you leave.

WHY:This prayer walk is a great way for a family to participate in helping “heal the world and shadow God.” Jesus cares about Jackson and our prayers make a difference.

WILL this be weird? No, only if you dress up weird and run down the street acting weird. There will be no large signs/banners or drums beating! If you act weird, I may not acknowledge that I know you! Just kidding!

Final QUESTIONS? contact me at lori.tate@westwinds.org. OR watch FB -
“westwinds kids journey” for more details.

wwKids Nursery: Separating infants & toddlers

As our wwKids ministry grows we feel the need to divide the nursery into infants and toddlers. The front area of the nursery will be for infants, birth to walking. Once the kids are steady on their feet, they will move into the toddler area where they will have their own space to play and explore.
We will immediately begin to divide the kids into infants and toddlers. All kids will be dropped off at the front nursery area, but toddlers will be PICKED UP via the door by the main restrooms and vending machines. Beginning Sunday, April 3, we transition so that toddlers will be dropped off and picked up at the same side door location.
Whether you are a first time parent and a veteran with several kids, we want you and your child to feel welcomed and comfortable while you are at Westwinds. If you have any other questions about the nursery or Westwinds, please don’t hesitate to ask. You may contact me via e-mail: parkergirl777@hotmail.com.
Have a blessed day! Amber Parker

iCreate

The next Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber is here in Jackson waiting to be discovered. Paragon students and wwKids have participated in a poetry and art contest.

Ten students will have their poem made into an original song performed by local artists. Overall there will be 24 winners in the art and poetry area; 12 kids will receive scholarships to attend local art classes through Essa Arts.

Mark your calendars and come. Wednesday, March 9, 6:30-8p at Westwinds Church, located at 1000 Robinson Rd., Jackson, MI.

wwKids Christmas

This year wwKids has done some amazing things, and to finish the year out with a bang we celebrated Christmas in a new, but old school way. For the month of December, we asked families to come in and create a new family tradition by assembling Advent Wreaths out of trash, which created a new family treasure.

This event was truly wonderful. It was easy to see that these families were having a magnificent time working together to create something that was uniquely them. Plus in this process they were able to see the birth of Jesus in a new light, which was that Advent is a time of preparation for the kings birth. Not just a physical preparation, but an emotional preparation also. His birth was so extraordinary, that to fully grasp the magnitude, we need to prepare ourselves. This is what the advent wreath helps us do. There is a candle lit every Sunday during advent, to build up until the day of Christ's birth.

So overall, the magic of the season, can be seen through many different things, but we were able to bring some of that feeling to these families as they were able to work together to create a new family treasure. Which was a wonderful thing that we were able to do as a finish for this truly remarkable year.

hearts in the right place

now that we are gearing up for the holiday season in wwKids and in the personal lives of many, it makes me wonder how much of that gearing up is actually for the hustle and bustle, and how much is actually the preparation for the birth of Jesus. When it is thought about, many acknowledge the fact that Jesus' birth is celebrated at Christmas, but its easy to forget that ina ll of the crazy activity of December. To fully understand that, we need to prepare ourselves mentally to fully understand what really happened that night.

It was not just any baby being born, it was the king of creation and all of us in the form of a man. It was not necessarily the most sanitary place or the best of circumstances, but it was a gift to us all, and that is something that needs to be remembered and thought about so that we can fully be ready to realize what Christmas is all about.

Halloween

this past weekend, wwKids were privileged to get to take part in the Halloween activities of Westwind's. This was a spectacular event that was able to create many memories for these children that will be remembered. Along with the visual excitement the kids also learned about fear. this made me wonder, what are we afraid of? Not just in our own lives but also when it comes to how we influence these kids. It is very easy to think we are not good enough to play a part in making a difference in these kids lives as a rolemodel, but what it comes down to is that no matter how much interaction there may be, children see you and learn from what you do in every circumstance.

So why be afraid of the inevitable. These kids learn from us so we need to realize that who we are is perfectly designed by God and that God uses us in the state we are in to help these kids, even all the way down to a simple smile. So next time you see a kids maybe just a little conversation will change a child's day for the better and help them see God through you.

P.S. thank you to all the amazing volunteers who helped with Halloween on Sunday. It was truly spectacular and that was because of everyone involved. So thanks.