Stella & Dot Adoption Fundraiser: Buy your "Emma Charity" Jewelry Now

We are so blessed to have a new friend, Ashley Jones, who has provided us with a wonderful fundraising opportunity for Emma's adoption. Ashley sells the beautiful Stella & Dot jewelry, and she is hosting an online jewelry party for us and donating her comission to Emma's adoption.

She and I have selected a few pieces from the Stella & Dot line that will be the "EMMA" line. Each piece holds special significance to our family regarding Emma's adoption. The Odette collection is the "INFINITY" line. Emma Charity which means "complete" or "infinite" "love".  Adoption is similar because you share God's infinite love with a child who has no one...crossing borders and loving completely. Within the Odette collection there are two infinity necklaces, three pairs of infinity earrings, an infinity bracelet/cuff, and an infinity ring to choose from. These items can be viewed here:http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/catalogsearch/result/?q=odette

We are also offering the TREE OF LIFE charm necklace which signifies family and being rooted together in Christ despite distance or circumstance. It is available in sterling silver or bronze.http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/tree-of-life-necklace-sterling-silver.html
http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/tree-of-life-necklace-bronze.html

And, lastly there will be a child's bracelet, called the "Little Dottie". We chose this piece for all the precious little girls who love to dress up and wear jewelry and who will love that they have helped bring Emma home by choosing this special piece.
http://shop.stelladot.com/style/b2c_en_us/little-dottie-bracelet.html

How can you shop?  It’s easy!  Head to www.stelladot.com/ashleyjones.  At the top you will see “Find your Hostess.”  Click there and type in Christina Burrell.  At that point you can browse the site and shop away!  You may find all the beautiful jewelry overwhelming so we chose a few pieces that have special meaning and will tie us all together for Emma.  The show is open to shop now and will close on April 29.

We will receive 100% of the commission from every item that you purchase and you will have a special piece of jewelry to remind you/link you to our princess from Moldova, Emma Charity. It is our hope that each time you wear the jewelry you will say a special prayer over our family.

The online party will remain open until April 29, 2013, so place your orders soon. Please feel free to share this blog post and the party link and details with your friends and family. Every order brings us closer to our Emma.

If you would like a flyer or more information on these items mailed to you, then please email me at christinaburrell@hotmail.com If you have any questions, you can also call me at 956-566-6756.

Thank you so much for your consideration in buying an "EMMA" piece and for helping us spread the word by sharing the link and the party information. May God pour out His LOVE and BLESSING on each of you!!
http://emmacharity.blogspot.com/

Our Moldovan Adoption-Online Auction for Awesome Items and Other Fundraising Opportunities

For those of you who do not know, we are in the process of adopting a little girl from Moldova. To read about our adoption story, visit our adoption blog here:

http://www.emmacharity.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-complete-love-emma-charity-is.html

We have been so blessed to receive many wonderful things to auction off for Emma's Adoption costs. To everyone who has donated an item, we say "Thank You" from the bottom of our hearts! Each gift is a blessing.

The auction is now live. You can view the items here:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200641005888837.220131.1270923703&type=1

To bid, simply make a comment under the picture. The auction will run until Friday, March 15th at 10:00 p.m. (CST). At the conclusion of the auction, each winner will be contacted via email with instructions on how to pay for the item. If your item needs to be shipped, there is a shipping cost. Please pay for your items within 7 days via PayPal or a Check or Cash.

Please feel free to share the link with your friends, family, on your blog, etc... The more people who bid, the more money we will be able to raise for Emma's adoption. If you have any questions, contact me at christinaburrell@hotmail.com

We ask for your prayers as we follow God's leading to Moldova. Pray for precious Emma to be surrounded with love and compassionate care while she is in the orphanage.

There are several ways that you can support our adoption financially.

One way that you can help support bringing Emma home to our family is by purchasing coffee from our store at: http:/www.justlovecoffee.com/TheBurrells

For every bag of coffee that you purchase, we will receive $5. Thank you so much for helping in this way. Please forward the link to everyone you know who likes coffee, hot cocoa, or tea. The coffee is absolutely delicious! My hubby is especially fond of the Rwandan.

We also have an online store where we are selling tshirts (both adoption-themed and Christian-themed). For every t-shirt you purchase, we will receive $8 to put towards our adoption. Please consider purchasing a shirt and forward the link to the store to your coworkers, friends, and family. The link to our store is: http://www.adoptionbug.com/burrellmoldovanadoption

If you feel led to just donate directly to our family, we promise you that 100% of your gift will go towards her adoption. You can contribute money by making checks out to Darin and Christina Burrell (please email me at christinaburrell@hotmail.com to request our address) or through paypal at the paypal address: christinaburrell@hotmail.com

Our greatest need is prayer-prayer of protection over Emma and prayers for God's provision and timing on the entire adoption process.

Thank you to everyone for your continual support, prayers, and lovePraying her home, Darin, Christina, Jaythan and Bella Joy

Contributing to Beauty

Do you ever feel worn out, just burdened by so many things, on the verge of exhaustion, overwhelmed, inpatient, etc? If you are a Mama then the answer is "Yes". Lately, I have felt all these things, often at the same time. This morning in church, I could feel the tears on the crisp of falling. I fought to hold them in because I was fearful that if they started to fall it would be an avalanche of brokenness. I am not good at expressing my feelings or my hurts, and they often get bottled up inside only to surface at the most inappropriate times in a not-so-pretty manner.

Right now our family is burdened with two house payments, raising provisions for our adoption, health issues, family concerns, ongoing grief over our daughter in heaven, insecurities, and recovering from two months of sicknesses in our home. Exhaustion mentally, physically, and spiritually overwhelms daily.

So when I first heard this song, "Worn" last week, I felt like God was speaking clearly to me (song link is below). He is able to carry my burdens, to give me the rest I seek, to heal our sicknesses, to sell our home, to give peace in our grief. My God is Able in ALL things. How often I forget that.  I think as Christians we often get so consumed in our messy lives that we forget who can make beauty from those messes. God sees the final picture, and that picture is a beautiful masterpiece. My current messiness is just a small part that contributes to that final beauty. So, I can choose to see my discouragement and anxieties as contributors to beauty or as a mess. When I choose the "mess" option, my heart will feel the same-an utter mess. However, if I focus on who I know God to be (Faithful to keep His Promises; Able to perform miracles; Always Present with me; Always for me; Always loving me; Never giving up on me) then, and only then, can I view my circumstances as "contributors to beauty."

No matter what you face today, dear friends, your circumstance is a CONTRIBUTOR TO BEAUTY,  so surrender it to God. He is the only who can bring beauty from ashes and joy in the morning.

"Worn" by Tenth Avenue North

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UUEy8nZvpdM

Romans 8:28

The Message (MSG)

^26-28 Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Easy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie

My hubby loves chocolate and he loves cheesecake. Each year on his birthday and Valentine's Day I make him one of my famous from-scratch cheesecakes. They are enormous and take forever for him to eat (no one else in our family likes cheesecake). So this year, I experimented a little and came up with a quick, easy, homemade smaller version of his favorite dessert. He declared it to be absolutely amazing, and he says he looks forward to eating all eight small slices :-). This would be the perfect dessert to make when cooking dinner for a new mom or some one who is sick. It is delicious, easy, and the perfect size to share. 

Enjoy my friends! You are dearly loved by your Heavenly Father and prayed over! Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us that our Heavenly Father rejoices over us with singing! Wow! That humbles me with the knowledge that He loves me that much! How Awesome is our God!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Pie

Makes ones 8-inch pie

INGREDIENTS for Cheesecake:

• 1 (8-inch) store-bought graham cracker crust – chocolate or regular*
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

INGREDIENTS for Chocolate Glaze:

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I use 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
• ¼ cup whipping cream (or milk)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange 1/2 cup chocolate chips on the bottom of the crust.

Beat together cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Beat in egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well.

Carefully pour on top of the chocolate chips in the crust.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or just until set. Cool completely.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate and whipping cream together over low heat, stirring often (I do this in the microwave for 45-60 seconds.

Pour over the cheesecake and then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips on top. Chill several hours before serving.

*NOTE: If making your own graham cracker crust, keep in mind that this recipe is designed for an 8-inch pie pan (and many pie pans are 9-inch). If you use a 9-inch, you will probably have to adjust the cooking time (and obviously, the finished product will be slightly thinner).

Valentine's Chex Mix

I whipped up this super yummy and easy Valentine's Chex Mix this morning to share with friends and my family. The red and pink candy make it look so pretty-almost too pretty to eat :-).  Almost :-).

Mix some up to share and show God's love to others with a smile and a yummy treat that lets them know you are thinking of  them.

John 15:13 (the Message)

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father."

 



 

Valentine's Chex Mix

Ingredients:

1 box Rice Chex cereal

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup Valentine M&Ms

1/4 cup Valentines sprinkles or red and pink hearts

 

Directions:

Place cereal in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, microwave the butter, peanut butter, and white chocolate chips uncovered on high 1 minute (stirring at the 30 second mark). Stir until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the cereal, stirring gently until all cereal is evenly coated.

Place 1/2 of the cereal in a paper lunch sack or gallon-sized ziploc bag. Add the 1/3 cup powdered suar. Seal the bag and shake until the cereal is coated with the sugar. Spread on wax paper or foil-lined cookie sheet to cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the m&ms and the valentine sprinkles into the remaining cereal mixture. Spread on wax paper or foil-lined cookie sheet for 15 minutes to cool.

In a large bowl, mix both cereals together gently and then store in cute valentine themed bags or a sealed containers. Share with friends.

 

Makes 11 servings (1/2 cup each)

Toddler Valentine's Snack Mix

Today, I enjoyed making a yummy Valentine Snack Mix for my precious little Bella and her toddler MOPs class. Twice a month, I am blessed to attend Mothers of Preschoolers at our church. While Mommy gets some girl time, craft time, etc.., Bella enjoys playing with her toddler friends in Moppets. This Friday, we were asked to bring a Valentine Snack for the kiddos, so I whipped up this Valentine themed Cereal Mix that seemed age-appropriate for 18 month olds. You can adjust the mix with your favorite cereals or dried fruits. I have posted the recipe and a few pics below.

I am super blessed with a sweet toddler who loves giving kisses and hugs and loves her Mommy. She brings my heart so much JOY daily. She is a constant reminder to me of God's Abundant Love! I pray that each of you knows the depths of your Father's Great Love for you!

Ephesians 3:18

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is."

Toddler Valentine Snack Mix

Ingredients:

1 box Elmo X&O cereal

1 box Strawberry Shredded Wheat

1 box Welch's Yogurt Covered Strawberry Fruit Snacks

1 cup Craisins

1 cup Valentine M&Ms

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl gently, and then store in bags or an airtight container. Enjoy!

Mocha Cappuccino Munch

My dear hubby has been out of town for work all week, and I miss him tremendously. Thankfully, he is coming home tonight so I whipped up this yummy treat as a surprise. He loves mocha cappuccinos and chocolate so this is the perfect combo for him.

Blessings my dear friends! You are deeply loved and prayed for by your Heavenly Father.

Mocha Cappuccino Munch

Ingredients:

1 box Rice Chex
1 Tablespoon instant coffee
2 Tablespoons very hot water

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup Jif Chocolate Silk Peanut Butter

2 cups powdered confectioners sugar

1 bag chocolate covered espresso beans or mini espresso cups (found at Walmart or the Dollar Tree)

Directions:

In a microwaveable safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, chocolate silk peanut butter, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Stir ground coffee into the two tablespoons hot water until the coffee is dissolved. Add the coffee and the shortening to the chocolate mixture and microwave for 45 seconds more. Stir until smooth. Place the rice Chex in a large bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and gently stir until all cereal is coated. Place the powdered sugar in a large plastic bag or paper sack.  Spoon the Chex mix into the bag. Shake until everything is coated. Spread onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and let set. Sprinkle the chocolate covered espresso beans over the mix. Spoon into storage containers. Store in a sealed container for 7 days. Enjoy!