Monday, March 31, 2008
Just a Monday freak out!
Okay, so I'm starting to freak out a little today. It has only been two weeks and three days but...I WANT A COURT DATE. I've heard that if you throw yourself a little pity party and blog about it then sometimes you get a court date and if not then its a good way to vent! We got an update on Bennett today, he is doing well, getting tons of attention, walking alot, waving bye-bye, and giving high-fives. I had a dream last night that he was extremely malnourished (like new born baby size but he was 16 months) so this update couldn't have come at a better time. It is amazing to me to see God's hand at work in this. Every step, every delay has been in Gods will. He has never been more apparent in my life.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Its Not Just Black & White
I thought this was a interesting article. I so wish that everyone could have this point of view. There was a pic of one of the sets of twins but for some reason it didnt copy. Anyways, its long but worth reading.
It's Not Just Black & White
by Ken Ham, February 13, 2008
I was taking questions on a live Christian radio talk show and had just answered one about the origin of the supposed human races. I listened as the host patched in the next caller, who blurted out: “I’ll believe we are all one race when you can show me two black people having a white baby and two white people having a black baby.”
I replied, “I can show you pictures of what are called ‘black and white twins’—one twin is very dark and the other very light.” (You can’t show pictures on radio, unfortunately, so all I could do was to describe the picture to the caller.)
“There is no way those two babies had the same father,” the caller responded. “That is impossible. White people and black people do not belong to the same race.”
The Singerl twins (above) are just one example where one twin is very dark and the other is very light. This is a vivid reminder that we are all one race.
Such prejudice, as betrayed by this caller, still exists in certain Christian circles in America and around the world, to my amazement (and disgust).
But it is not just the Christian world where people find “black” and “white” twins incredible—it is also shocking to the secular world. They are surprised because they ignore the Bible’s account that we all came from one race (begun by the first man and woman, Adam and Eve) and dispersed as a result of the Tower of Babel, which led to the formation of people groups (Asians, Caucasians, etc.). They assume, instead, that human groups are deeply divided by significant variations over tens or hundreds of thousands of years and that different people groups originated from different “ancestral apes.”
Are There Really “Black and White Twins”?
Over the last several decades, many examples of fraternal twins, where one is very dark (called “black”) and one very light (called “white”), have been documented. Fraternal twins usually occur when two different eggs are fertilized by two different sperm cells and implanted in the mother’s womb at the same time.
Documented examples of fraternal twins being “black” and “white” include:
The Hodgson-Horder twin girls (Born April 2005 in England)
The Biggs twin girls (Born July 2006 in Australia)
The Richardson twin boys (Born July 2006 in England)
The Grant twin girls (Born 1983 in England)
The Singerl twin girls (Born May 2006 in Australia)
In reading over the various news reports on the above sets of twins, I noticed that one reporter called such occurrences “freak,” and others quoted scientists saying that the chance of “black” and “white” twins was a million to one.
Some of the parents of these sets of twins have shared that people stopped and stared when they saw the “black” and “white” children. Some pointed, and others commented that they couldn’t be from the same parents. Some even made racially prejudiced statements about one of the dark-skinned twins. Some believed the parents were lying about their being twins with the same father.
But in reality, such sets of twins are quite easy to explain and should not invoke such responses. So how can such “black” and “white” twins—though quite rare—be explained?
According to the Bible’s history, all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve—thus only one biological race exists. All humans in the world today are classified as Homo sapiens sapiens (same genus, species, and subspecies). When the Human Genome Project published a draft of their findings in 2000, the New York Times reported that “the researchers had unanimously declared there is only one race—the human race.”
To form different people groups with distinguishing characteristics, one would need to split up the human population and isolate groups from each other. The Tower of Babel, as recorded in Genesis 11, provides the historical basis for the formation of such people groups. There is so much information in the human genome that zillions of combinations are possible.
Yet all humans basically have the same skin color—a brown pigment called melanin. Although there are a couple of forms of melanin and other pigments and factors playing minor roles in skin color, every human basically has a brown color.
Lots of brown is called black, and a little brown color is called white. In actuality, no human really is “black” and no human is “white.” There are not different colors but different shades of one basic color, brown.
While many factors are involved in determining skin color and the steps are very technical, basic genetics can help us understand the most important principles.
Assume dominant genes result in lots of melanin and recessive genes result in little melanin. Adam and Eve were most likely a middle brown color with both dominant and recessive genes for the pigment melanin in the skin. Children who received all the dominant genes would end up with a lot of the color and be very dark. Children who received all the recessive genes would end up with only a little color and be very light. Children with a mixture of the genes (both dominant and recessive) would be middle brown.
Of course, many combinations are possible. But provided that the parents have between them mixtures of the dominant and recessive genes, children could exhibit a large range of skin shade. With fraternal twins, one twin could inherit genes for lots of melanin while the other could inherit genes for little melanin.
So, it’s not just “black” and “white.” Bottom line: a person’s skin shade (what is on the outside) should in no way invoke any sort of prejudice or racist comments. What a difference we would see in our world if people reacted in accord with biblical principles, understanding all humans are equal before God, and all are sinners in need of salvation. All of us need to build our thinking on the absolute authority of the Word of God, judging all beliefs and attitudes against the clear teaching of what our Creator God teaches us.
God reminded Samuel of this when He said, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
It's Not Just Black & White
by Ken Ham, February 13, 2008
I was taking questions on a live Christian radio talk show and had just answered one about the origin of the supposed human races. I listened as the host patched in the next caller, who blurted out: “I’ll believe we are all one race when you can show me two black people having a white baby and two white people having a black baby.”
I replied, “I can show you pictures of what are called ‘black and white twins’—one twin is very dark and the other very light.” (You can’t show pictures on radio, unfortunately, so all I could do was to describe the picture to the caller.)
“There is no way those two babies had the same father,” the caller responded. “That is impossible. White people and black people do not belong to the same race.”
The Singerl twins (above) are just one example where one twin is very dark and the other is very light. This is a vivid reminder that we are all one race.
Such prejudice, as betrayed by this caller, still exists in certain Christian circles in America and around the world, to my amazement (and disgust).
But it is not just the Christian world where people find “black” and “white” twins incredible—it is also shocking to the secular world. They are surprised because they ignore the Bible’s account that we all came from one race (begun by the first man and woman, Adam and Eve) and dispersed as a result of the Tower of Babel, which led to the formation of people groups (Asians, Caucasians, etc.). They assume, instead, that human groups are deeply divided by significant variations over tens or hundreds of thousands of years and that different people groups originated from different “ancestral apes.”
Are There Really “Black and White Twins”?
Over the last several decades, many examples of fraternal twins, where one is very dark (called “black”) and one very light (called “white”), have been documented. Fraternal twins usually occur when two different eggs are fertilized by two different sperm cells and implanted in the mother’s womb at the same time.
Documented examples of fraternal twins being “black” and “white” include:
The Hodgson-Horder twin girls (Born April 2005 in England)
The Biggs twin girls (Born July 2006 in Australia)
The Richardson twin boys (Born July 2006 in England)
The Grant twin girls (Born 1983 in England)
The Singerl twin girls (Born May 2006 in Australia)
In reading over the various news reports on the above sets of twins, I noticed that one reporter called such occurrences “freak,” and others quoted scientists saying that the chance of “black” and “white” twins was a million to one.
Some of the parents of these sets of twins have shared that people stopped and stared when they saw the “black” and “white” children. Some pointed, and others commented that they couldn’t be from the same parents. Some even made racially prejudiced statements about one of the dark-skinned twins. Some believed the parents were lying about their being twins with the same father.
But in reality, such sets of twins are quite easy to explain and should not invoke such responses. So how can such “black” and “white” twins—though quite rare—be explained?
According to the Bible’s history, all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve—thus only one biological race exists. All humans in the world today are classified as Homo sapiens sapiens (same genus, species, and subspecies). When the Human Genome Project published a draft of their findings in 2000, the New York Times reported that “the researchers had unanimously declared there is only one race—the human race.”
To form different people groups with distinguishing characteristics, one would need to split up the human population and isolate groups from each other. The Tower of Babel, as recorded in Genesis 11, provides the historical basis for the formation of such people groups. There is so much information in the human genome that zillions of combinations are possible.
Yet all humans basically have the same skin color—a brown pigment called melanin. Although there are a couple of forms of melanin and other pigments and factors playing minor roles in skin color, every human basically has a brown color.
Lots of brown is called black, and a little brown color is called white. In actuality, no human really is “black” and no human is “white.” There are not different colors but different shades of one basic color, brown.
While many factors are involved in determining skin color and the steps are very technical, basic genetics can help us understand the most important principles.
Assume dominant genes result in lots of melanin and recessive genes result in little melanin. Adam and Eve were most likely a middle brown color with both dominant and recessive genes for the pigment melanin in the skin. Children who received all the dominant genes would end up with a lot of the color and be very dark. Children who received all the recessive genes would end up with only a little color and be very light. Children with a mixture of the genes (both dominant and recessive) would be middle brown.
Of course, many combinations are possible. But provided that the parents have between them mixtures of the dominant and recessive genes, children could exhibit a large range of skin shade. With fraternal twins, one twin could inherit genes for lots of melanin while the other could inherit genes for little melanin.
So, it’s not just “black” and “white.” Bottom line: a person’s skin shade (what is on the outside) should in no way invoke any sort of prejudice or racist comments. What a difference we would see in our world if people reacted in accord with biblical principles, understanding all humans are equal before God, and all are sinners in need of salvation. All of us need to build our thinking on the absolute authority of the Word of God, judging all beliefs and attitudes against the clear teaching of what our Creator God teaches us.
God reminded Samuel of this when He said, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Friday, March 21, 2008
Spell Check
We are changing the spelling of Toufiq's name from Benit to Bennett. It took some convincing on my end but Jason finally caved! I really wasn't a fan of the spelling from day one but (being the good wife that I am, ha ha) was trying to let Jason pick. Anyways, needless to say he saw the light and wanted to change it!
On a different note, I will be posting pics from our ski trip soon. All the kids were the cutest little snow bunnies!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Benit Toufiq Roberts
We have a son!!!! I cant believe it! Toufiq is absolutely gorgeous (spoken like a true mom), and is almost 15months (there is a little bit of confusion on this but will know find out for sure from Mary on Monday). He is at the Gladney care center and has been there the whole time, which makes me feel so much better. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about all the care givers there.
So here is how we got the news...as you know we have been on a family ski trip in Vail Col. for the past week. I have been telling everyone that I just knew we would get our referral while on our trip so as the week past I was feeling very sorry for myself. So Friday we were at the Denver Airport, had JUST stepped through security (like literally just put back on my boots) when I checked my phone to see how much time we had. Low and behold there it was, a unidentified missed call. I of course knew it was Mary, Jason of course told me to calm down that there was no way it was her. Sure enough, she left me a message to call her as soon as I could. So there we were, Me, Jason, Ella and my parents screaming in the middle of the airport. Mary was so wonderful and patient while we tore the airport apart looking for a computer. We all sat in an airport Internet cafe, seeing for the first time our son, Ella's brother, and my parents newest grand baby. What a moment!!! I cannot describe the feeling of seeing a picture of your son for the first time, it was awesome!
To all those families that have traveled Jan. to now, please please email me if you have any pictures of children at the Gladney orphanage or if you perhaps met him. I am dying for more info!!! ash_flo@hotmail.com
Please keep us in your prayers, the real wait now begins. Please pray that we get a court date quickly. I wish I could just freeze time and not let him grow another inch until we have him in our arms!!!
Friday, February 15, 2008
1 month, 3 weeks DOWN!!!!
The weeks just keep clicking by! We are through a whole month and three weeks to the day. I have been telling Jason that it could be 'any day' since day one of being on the waiting list but now that some time has past its becoming more and more of a reality!! I am sooo excited. What seems so crazy is the unability to prepare. We wont know our baby's sex, or age until we get our referral so I cant buy anything, uggghhh! I was shopping the other day for Ella and saw the most adorable baby outfits and wanted to take them all home. It makes me wish Ella was that size again, so I could just cuddle her and kiss her (she has zero time for that now)! My gut feeling is that March is going to be our month for a referral. I have no idea why but thats just my prediction. So know that if March passes us by with out a baby I am going to be totally bumed! I think that March will be here before we know it. We are going to the Houston Rodeo at the beginning of the month and then to Vail for a spring break ski trip. Can not wait!!! Ella is going to be the cutest little ski bunny. We used to go skiing every Christmas from the time I was 5 til I was in college. I will admit (just b/c my mom and sister are probably reading this and totally calling me out) I am not really into the whole ski/cold thing. I'm really going just to see Ella play in the snow, to shop, go to a spa, have some hot toties, eat a ton of fudge from the best fudge store ever, just have a little r&r. So the whole trip my mom and I will get harassed for not hiting the mountain at opening and skiing until our legs give out. The rest of my family are big time. My sister I think has the entire mountain mapped out in her head. She will be up there ALL day, EVERY day. All the power to her!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Gettin closer
Three weeks down!!! I know, it doesnt seem like a lot but everyday could be THE day! Soooo exciting. I wonder if it'll still be exciting when we're on week 12 or even 16!?! Anyways this weekend Jason and I are going to work on some of our education classes so we can get that out of the way. Classes have never really been my thing but...these classes seem like they'll be pretty interesting so we'll see how it goes!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Not a 'Goodbye'
All the kids on Christmas eve. (Nastya is the blone in the black dress)
So this past wednesday we all had to say goodbye to Nastya (for those that do not know, she is an orphan from the Ukraine that my sister's family has been hosting for the past three weeks). All I can say is talk about 'footprints on the heart'. She has forever changed our family. It is amazing how children can endure soooo much in such a short lifetime yet still have so much love, trust, and compassion in them. I think one of the hardest parts of putting her on the plane was the unknown. As many of you know, adoption is very volatile, expecially in Ukraine. My sister and her family are planning to do everything they can to adopt her but there are many obstacles in the way. I hope so much that wednesday was not a 'goodbye' but just a 'see ya later'. I will miss her sweet smile, her boastful voice, watching her tackle new challenges (like figure out how to ride a bike in a matter of 4 hours), seeing her eyes light up as she rides the cones (horses). Please everyone keep my Nastya in their prayers.
So this past wednesday we all had to say goodbye to Nastya (for those that do not know, she is an orphan from the Ukraine that my sister's family has been hosting for the past three weeks). All I can say is talk about 'footprints on the heart'. She has forever changed our family. It is amazing how children can endure soooo much in such a short lifetime yet still have so much love, trust, and compassion in them. I think one of the hardest parts of putting her on the plane was the unknown. As many of you know, adoption is very volatile, expecially in Ukraine. My sister and her family are planning to do everything they can to adopt her but there are many obstacles in the way. I hope so much that wednesday was not a 'goodbye' but just a 'see ya later'. I will miss her sweet smile, her boastful voice, watching her tackle new challenges (like figure out how to ride a bike in a matter of 4 hours), seeing her eyes light up as she rides the cones (horses). Please everyone keep my Nastya in their prayers.
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