Roku upgrade.....PLEASE HELP!!

So our sister-in-law Melinda, who is donating the Roku and Netflix for the giveaway has just told us this:

"If we can raise $1000 by the end of the ROKU giveaway, the winner will get upgraded to the Roku XD|S... The BEST Wi-Fi and the BEST HD video quality available."

So please help us reach that amount!!!! For the boys!! And to bless Melinda for doing this for the boys! Please donate, share this giveaway, and pray!!! The giveaway ends Sunday so please spread the word about this giveaway!!

We are already submitted and should be traveling in the next few weeks, so please help us raise this last $9600!

Thank you!!!!!

For a list of bonus giveaway chances click here

Just waiting!

So, it's Thursday morning. A day after some very heavy rains (8") and some amazingly strong storms rolled through. And....well, I'm thinking about the boys. What we would be doing this morning if they were here. Chances are we would be out in the woods looking at the waterfalls that come from all the wet weather springs, probably picking flowers for mom, and watching their favorite 3 legged dog try her best to catch that rabbit. Early morning walks with dad into the Tennessee country side before the world gets up and going. They are going to love it here! I can't wait!

So, for now....I'll just sip on some coffee while Rachel sleeps in (I thought I would let her get a few more days of that, since it won't happen too much more), letting all of you into the mind of a soon to be dad.

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Please pray, there were a lot of people effected by these storms. Pray first for those who don't know Christ, then for the recovery. Unfortunately, God has to use some pretty powerful tools to get people to turn to Him. What we see as a disaster, can often bring people out of situations that were leading to an everlasting disaster. Christians that in the midst of that need to remember that God is in control of it all, and they are put their for a reason...to reach out and help and in doing so show God's grace, love and kindness no matter what their personal tragedies are. Our prayers are with those who have gone through the tornadoes...

In Christ,

Joel

Roku Give Away Extended!

Sorry for all of those who might think they would be winning a Roku HD tonight but I messed up the date and due to conflicting dates...we are extending it until Sunday night!  Don't worry you still have every opportunity to purchase more chances to win!  Please spread this around with your friends and families and help bless the one who is donating this item for the Give Away!  PS....you need one of these!

See post below for how the donations work and what bonus levels there are!  Thank you all!

Casting Crowns, Glorious Day in Sign Language

HELP NEEDED ASAP!!!!! (....Is God calling you?)

God's gotta help me with this one so, here goes! Now that we have been submitted, we are expecting to travel in the next 4-6 weeks. That being said, we need help! We are still about $10,000 shy of the $37,500 needed to be fully funded and God keeps telling us to put it in His hands. I keep asking for clarity on that and I believe what He is telling me to do is to trust Him (which I am learning everyday of this process) and that He has some very special people out there who are going to do this for us....With His help! What I am asking is that you pray, ask God if you are one of those people, one who He is calling to advocate for His children.

• Are you willing to spend the next few weeks, asking friends, family, local businesses, local churches to help?
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• Are you one He is calling to stand out in public and ask others for money?
• 
  
• Are you one God is calling to give up a portion of what He has provided you with in savings, to bring these little guys home?
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• Are you one God is calling to sponsor a community yard sale with proceeds going to help these little guys out?
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• Is God calling on you to do a baked goods drive, a special mother's day dinner, or a car wash for these little fellas.

..........IS GOD CALLING ON YOU AND YOUR TALENTS TO BE A BLESSING TO THESE ORPHANS? That is the BIG question!

This is hard for a man to write, see... beneath the strong man appearance, there is blubbering fool who is learning how to be humble, how to cry and how to ask for help when he knows he can't do it. It's not easy, I've always been able to "get-er-done" with hard work, selfish ambition and a certain recklessness....God is telling me I can't this time! I can't be in control...I have to let others step up, so they can have an opportunity to gloriy Him by doing what God has given them the talent or resources to do. So, I ask humbly...please pray and ask if God wants you to step up for these guys (and me).

Either way, rejoice...for He has gone all out for you! (and that is what we are celebrating today)

Thursday!

And guess who WAS submitted this Thursday? WE WERE!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!!!
Now we wait for our travel date!! So excited to finally hold my little men!!!! Pray with me that we end up fully funded by the time we get our travel date. That should be in a couple of weeks!!!!! We only need $11,000 (minus $21 (: )

New Fundraiser Alert!

Do you watch movies, Listen to music, have high speed internet? If so, you need this amazing little black box! This is an amazing little thing that lets you stream hulu, netflix, pandora and more to your TV! No more calling everyone over to huddle around the laptop...play it on the big screen or blast it through your sound system! (click here to check out their website) This is the Roku HD that is up for giveaway!

But wait, there's more! Are you tired of the hassle of trying to catch that movie at the theater, sick of not being able to eat a thick, grilled steak and enjoy that glass of wine while watching that movie at the theater! Fire up the grill, get the cork screw and let the spouse know tonights date includes dinner, movie and some dancing (courtesy of Pandora internet radio)...all in the privacy of your own home...and if you dance like me, that's a bonus all in itself!

Still unsure if you want a magic black box? Well, good news! We are giving one away, and you could win it! The person donating this is also throwing in two free months of Netflix, so you can watch endless movies and old tv shows on your magic black box!!!! Entries for the drawing are earned by donating to our Roku Chipin box. These donations are tax deductable and chipin just directs you to reecesrainbows paypal account (just make sure to put "Goldens" in the paypal instructions). Here's how to win!

1 entry per dollar donated with a bonus offered at:
$21 = 40 entries
$42 =90 entries
$63 = 150 entries
$84= 210 entries
$105=300 entries
$210=1000 entries
$1000=6000 entries
$2100=15,000 entries
and if you felt led to donate the remaining $10,000 you automaticly win one and we will even upgrade it for you :)

please remember I will be cutting out these entries so I would encourage you donating the full $10,000 so the boys dad doesn't go to visit with some kind of perminant scissor hand ailment or something...but I am willing to risk all kinds of papercuts for these little guys, so donate what you can. We thank each and every one of you! Please spread it around on social networking sites, chat groups, email lists, friends and family...

Thanks again,

Joel

Prayer is a mighty sword!

These are the words a dear friend put in a comment on a previous post. To be honest I had not given those last couple paragraphs another thought, but I am so glad she did!!! At the time we were a little bummed we weren't submitted last Thursday, but knew it was God's timing. At that time we also still needed to raise $21,500 to bring the boys home. In the previous post I commented that wouldn't it be awesome if by this Thursday (when we are hoping to be submitted) if we could have half of that $21,500 raised. And I asked you all to pray with us for the funds needed.

Well, guess what? GOD PROVIDED!!!! He is so awesome!! And yes, Shelly, prayer is a mighty sword!! It is only Tuesday and we are already down to needing only $11,000!!!

Thank you Lord!!! And thank you to all who are praying!! God DOES answer prayer!!!

St. Clair family update

Thank you to all who have been praying for the St. Clair family. As mentioned in our earlier post, they found out that they were unable to adopt the little boy, Riley, that they had committed to and fell in love with, and worked so hard to get to. As they worked through their grief and sought the Lord's will for their adoption journey, he placed upon their hearts another orphan to love :) Please check out their family sponsor page on Reece's Rainbow to see a picture of the sweet little one God led them to.

http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorstclair

The boys will be in for a change!

Only in the country! Rachel was on the phone, and I hear "I'll call you back, there is a cow in our front yard"...we don't have cows and she was only partially right. This was a huge bull from our neighbors farm, see, we are way out in the sticks...but not to worry, Hoss the wonder dog chased him back home. And if you are courious about backwoods farm etiquette when a cow shows up in your yard...simply call your neighbor but don't approach the bull. They said it is a 50/50 chance if this is nice bull or the rodeo bull :)

Got me thinking of some kind of BBQ fundraiser now!

Praising God!!

Notice anything different about the little choo choo train? How about the fact that it moved way to the right? Yep, it sure did! We got a phone call telling us that we are approved for an adoption loan in the amount of $10,000!!!!! Praise the Lord! This brings our total needed down below $12,000!!! Woohoo!! So praise Him with us for His provision!! We are so thankful and excited!

Please continue to pray for the remaining funds, to share the boys story with others, and of course donating as the Lord leads you! It sure would be great to reach that fully funded mark by the time we get our travel date (which I'm estimating to be in about 3 weeks!)

Please check back to the fundraising tab over the next few days as I will be adding a couple of fundraisers and some homemade craft items for sale to help fully fund the adoption.

We also got a message today from someone who saw one of our little boys! In her words he is "SO STINKIN CUTE!!" It sure gladdened this momma's heart to hear about him. I cannot wait to get over there and bring these little guys home!

So please praise with us and pray with us! Thank you!

Thursdays

For those of you who don't know, the boys country only accepts dossiers to be submitted on Thursdays. Since ours arrived last week we were praying that it would be translated and submitted today so we could be one step closer to meeting our precious little boys. Alas, we were not on todays list. But we still thanking God and praising Him. His timing is perfect! We know that we will be submitted on the right day and be given the exact travel date that God wants us to have. We are praising Him that we have even made it this far! In the beginning it seemed so far off, and when others said, "Don't worry you will get there" it was hard to believe. But here we are! Homestudy is done, dossier is done, running around gathering paperwork is done! Now we wait for the Lord to give us that perfect date to bring home our blessings :)

But the work is not done. We still need about $21,500 to be fully funded. Please pray for that exact amount. Please take this prayer request to your churches, your friends, your family. Please pray that lack of funds does not cause these little ones to spend any more time in an orphanage. Please pray about donating and/or holding a fundraiser for these boys.

Thank you so much for all the prayers and the support!! It is awesome to know these boys are so loved by so many that have never met them, and probably never will. Thank you for seeing the potential these boys have when so many see them as throw-aways or worthless or not worthy of being adopted because they don't live in the United States.

So here's to waiting until next Thursday!! :) Wouldn't it be awesome if we could have half of that $21,500 raised by then?! I know God can do it! So let's pray!!!

A weekend full of excitement!!!

Our weekend started on Friday as we headed up to MI for a benefit for the boys. Some wonderful friends that happen to own a fabulous coffee shop put this whole thing together to help raise fund for the boys, how awesome is that! Well, after the long drive up there, as we were hanging out with family, we discovered that our dossiers had made it to their destination!! Woohoo! They were not scheduled to arrive until Monday, but they made it there Friday! A great start to the weekend :)
Then on Saturday, the day of the benefit, we discovered that some wonderful ladies from the church we attended in MI donated several baked goods for the benefit that night. We also had people donate items for a silent auction and a craft sale. We were overwhelmed by the love pouring forth for these boys. So Saturday night comes and so do the people! :) We were blessed to have friends and family we haven't seen in many years come to support us. We had a wonderful time!! And the Lord blessed us with $1451 towards the adoption!! Thank you Rodney and Mindy!! And thank you to everyone who had a part in that! We feel so loved!
Then on Sunday we attend our MI church and are blessed again to find out that the offering they had taken up the previous week for the boys was around $500, but that they were taking another special offering that day for the adoption as well!! The love we felt was overwhelming and such a blessing! Thank you so much to our Shiloh family!!!
We also left MI with 2 double strollers, 2 car seats, and many clothes donated to our boys!

It is now Monday and we are already back home. We still have some crafts leftover from our sale that we are hoping to get posted on here for sale very soon. So please check back, and check under our fundraiser tab.

Once again, thank you to all!!!! What an amazing blessing!

****As I typed this, Joel had taken our little beagle dog up to the vet as it appeared she had a broken leg. Well, she does, and as I write about our exciting weekend, our poor dog is at the vet awaiting to have her leg amputated. So the excitement continues. Good news is that she'll be all healed and ready to play by the time the boys come home!

Prayers for the St. Clair family

On the right side of our blog, towards the bottom, there is a button for helping Riley get home. The St. Clair family committed to this sweet little boy and have spent the last few months getting all their ducks in a row so they could go rescue this precious orphan.

Then it happened, something all of us know could happen but painful nonetheless. They found out that little Riley is no longer available for adoption. The good news is that his family stepped up and he is in foster care with them. The bad news is that the St. Clair's have lost their son. Yes, he is their son, to them. You see, spending all these months focused on getting a certain child or children home you fall in love. In your heart, they are already yours and you love them fully. So please pray for this family as they grieve the loss of this son, and ask God to show them His plan.

Please pray for all the families currently in the adoption process, for strength, encouragement, endurance, patience, and finances. Pray for those mama's hearts as they wade through all the paperwork trying to get to their little one(s).

Please pray.

Ever felt like you got hit by a train?

Adoption is a spiritual battle!  God is pro-adoption...thus satan is anti-adoption (in any way possible).  We have been in a spiritual battle since the start of this process, and I only hope that people see the love of God through our actions and reactions.  We are trying so hard to stay faithful, in the puny sense we know it, and trusting God will stay faithful to us in this process.  Today we were hit with something I hope none of you ever has to go through...and quite honestly, it is still sinking in....and we are praising Him!

As we finished the last of our paperwork for our dossier today (all the paperwork going to the legal system in the boys country), we were fired up...being almost done with 6 months of paper chasing!  See, this process is very complicated.  Starting with a simple document, and having it notarized, then going to the county to have the notary certified, then going to the state to have the county certification of the certification of the guy who notarized your document..well certified!  Add to the mix, this has to be done for all kinds of things in 6 different counties for us and it equals mass insanity if something is even slightly off.

With what, we thought, was our last pieces of paperwork done...we were a half hour from home on our 230 mile journey to 3 different counties and the secretary of state and we got hit with a spiritual punch that I never saw coming.  Rachel noticed that everyone was out of their offices in a small town we were driving through and looking to the storm rolling in from the west.  As we turned the corner, we saw why!  There was a very dark set of clouds flying low and quick, and in different directions.  We came to a corner and from out of no where the stop lights were dancing to a rhythm of something we had never seen, none were going the same way and none were hanging anywhere close to vertical, except one and it was pointed up!

As we turned the corner, the car was being blown all over the road and I pulled into the 3rd driveway on the right.  Thankfully, it dropped down about 5-6 ft and we started praying.  This tornado went directly over us, lifting the car to the point we thought we would become airborne at any second.  The 6x8 privacy fence in front of us snapped the 4x4 posts and flew off, the shingles on the roof of the house in front of us were being sucked straight up and the pulsing of the tornadic suction rocked the car in a way I never want to experience againg, with a surging pulse and noise never before heard by either of us.

I grabbed Rachel's hand and asked God to place his hand of protection on us...and He did!  See, when you are doing God's will, going forth with the example He set in adopting us and in accordance to doing what He called you to do....Hell's fury can do nothing against you!  I was reminded of this throughout the time the car was being buffeted, reminded by the wise words of my wife.  She had stated days prior, that she felt God was protecting us because He has plans on us being the parents of these two little boys...and satan is no match for God's plans!

So, tonight we rejoice in another confirmation that we are on the right path.  We rejoice that we get another chance to share and boast in how amazing God is, how much He loves each and every single one of us, to the point that He has already paid for all of our sins...by becoming the sacrifice of each and all.  If you don't know this love, I want to pray that you will know it some day.  Search Him, and He will reveal Himself to you!

In Christ,

Joel Golden

project $5 winner announcement

and the winner is...........................


Denise Teague.....


Denise, thank you for your donation!  You have won your choice of Gift cards from the list provided!

To all who participated, a sincere Thank You from Rachel and I.  We raised almost 10% of what we had left to fully fund the boys adoption!  Now on to the next fundraiser....stay posted!  And, as always, if you feel a tug at your heart to give....please do so!  We are down to our last 4-6 weeks before we travel!

Thank you!!

We just wanted to thank everyone for participating in the 5 buck project! Whether you donated or shared our blog or prayed, we thank you. We were able to raise about $1800 for the boys adoption with this!

We also thank those who ordered from the Thirty-One party. The party total reached just over $1000 so the boys got $100 towards their adoption, plus I got to order for free some items that will be handy for storage of their toys and such in their room and around the house.

We thank all those who have been lifting us and the boys up in prayer. The USCIS process which we were told from them would take 2-3 months, took just 3.5 weeks!!!!! Praise God!!! So now we have the "golden ticket" and are getting our paperwork all together to send to EE next week :) We are so excited that the time is drawing nearer to meet our sweet little boys! Please keep praying!  We still need about $24,000 to be fully funded. We are still working on more fundraisers. See our fundraiser tab at the top of the blog to read about our current ones. We will have a couple more starting over the next week or two so make sure you check back! :)

Thank you to all of you who've shared the boys story with your friends, family, neighbors, and church family! Thank you for giving them a chance to be a blessing to us and these boys! We sit here in awe watching God work through this adoption process. Does it have it's ups and downs, yes! But God is in it all! So we thank you for everything you are doing to help us get these boys home, and we Praise God for it all!!!