The other morning I was out walking, just sweet Ruby-girl and mommy.

We have a couple mile loop we do…and every little bit I stop and give her
a bite of her oatmeal and we get back at it.  We talk, we pray, we sing,
we [literally] stop to smell the flowers….

and if her wheelchair can’t reach them,
I unbuckle her and lift her precious little body out and she smells them.

There is a neighbor who has a fountain and although I can’t see it,
we always stop to listen to the water….

Such a privilege to walk with our precious 
little bundle of miracles!

I remember writing not long after Ruby came home, how this silver-haired
chica bounced with joy through the neighborhood pushing Ruby’s stroller with such joy!

Two and a half years later and I’m still bouncing with joy, now pushing my sweet girl 
in her black and purple wheelchair, just as tickled, humbled and grateful as 
the first moment we knew she was ours.

In fact the other day, a couple probably about Dw’s and my age were
talking to another neighbor as Ruby and I passed.  I smiled and said,
“Hi” and kept on going.

The couple finished up and soon were right behind me.  I called over my
shoulder about the beautiful Phoenix morning and they answered back.

A moment or two passed and she called to me,
“OH!  We had our grandson visiting last week!”

I laughed out loud.

“Such a blessing to have your grandson!  
This is our youngest daughter!”

“Ohhhhhh!” was the bit taken-back response.

They were sweet and pleasant, but definitely weren’t expecting me to be the mama.

Cannot describe adequately the joy of telling yet someone else that I’m the
silver-haired mama of this sweet treasure….

I still marvel that I’m the one who gets to…

But do you realize that for most of the world, the fragile little treasures,
known here in the Western World as “Special Needs” are often deemed,

Untouchable
Scary
Contagious
Outcasts
Unwanted
and even
Cursed?

Heartbreaking.

Truly gut-wrenching.

That’s why the work Emma and her team are doing in Uganda is so invaluable….

We are so very humbled to have a front row seat for the soon-opening of

The Gem Foundation

If you haven’t checked out the website, please do so by clicking the link above.


If you haven’t “liked” the The Gem Foundation’s Facebook page, today would be a beautiful day to do that and most importantly,


If you haven’t prayed for The Gem Foundation, it would be the perfect time to do that!

Bless the Lord, it’s just about time for The Gem Foundation to welcome it’s first little treasure…