Growing Up on Washington

The Starfish Story

    One day a man was walking along the beach and he came     across a boy throwing back starfish that had washed up     the night before. The man said,

     "Boy, why are you doing that?"

     "Because if they lay here in the sun they will dry out         and die," said the boy.

     The man said, "You can't save them all, so why does it        matter?"

     The boy picked up the a starfish and said, "It matters      to this one," and threw it back into the water.

I can relate to that story. Danil is like a starfish and my family is like the little boy. We can't save all the orphans in the world, but it matters to Danil if he is saved.

I realize that not everyone can adopt, but there are many things that you can do to save a little “starfish”. You can donate, volunteer, or do something that the poor, rich, needy, hungry, and even you can do. You can pray! It’s easy, just think of what you would say to your father. You can thank him, ask him for help, ask for help for others, or pretty much anything! You may not know his answer right away but he will always answer. It may be yes, it may be no, but I have found it is often wait. He may speak to you himself, he send someone else to tell you, or he may give you signs. No matter what the answer is he will always answer you! He may not give you what you want, but what ever he does is for the best. He loves you!

                                          -Abbey

Count Your Blessings

"Count your blessings, one by one"

"Count your blessings, see what god has done"

These truthful words were written by Johnson Oatman, a faithful man who is now in Heaven.

So, what does it mean to be blessed? 

To me, everyone is blessed in one way or another.

I am blessed by my family. 

 

Including my wonderful Dad,

 

My amazing Mom,

My obnoxious brother,

 

Now that I have looked at what "God has done" I have now relized that I am blessed with so many things, I can't write them all down!

So, what does a person do with so many blessings? What should a person do with anything the have to much of? 

They should share it! That is why I feel it is my responsibility to let my parents adopt, and not fight what God wants. He made Danil for my family, Danil looks like us and is a perfect mixture of my brother and I.

To me, he is not an orphan, he is my brother, and he is perfect!

 
 
                                         -Abbey

 

 

A Emotional Start

What if your Mom told you when you were only 11,

"Honey, how would you feel about adopting a little boy named Danil?"

Would you laugh? Would you cry? Would you smile? Would you frown?

My answer: All of the above.

First came a frown, which turned into crying. I, like any child would be, was afraid the coming of a new child would make my parents love me less. Of course, I was wrong. My mom must have magical powers or something because she, like all moms can, made me smile. Her soothing voice explained to me that her love was never ending, that she could never love me any any more than she already did. Then my dad, the comedian, cracked a joke and brought on the laughter. Pretty soon I was asking what I could do to help.

That night I feel asleep with many things. A smile on my face, amazing thought in my head, and most importantly, I fell asleep in God's presence. He had given me, a girl who lived in a small Indiana town, a wonderful mother and father. And he would soon give me so much more. 

 
 
                               
                                            -Abbey