Hope for a New Year!

The year 2011 is about to be written in the books. Done. Gone. And I can't really say that I am all that sad to see it go. It has been a very rough year for our family. With the loss of my mother-in-law to cancer, the LONG stretch of paperwork with very little headway on our adoption, my trip to the emergency room to get my appendix taken out, and countless other smaller trials- it has been a very trying year; however God has been faithful through it all. I am looking forward with great hope for the new year of 2012.

I am praying that early in 2012 we will be heading to the Philippines to adopt our little girl. I am praying that God will provide a miracle to help us pay for the completion of our adoption. (By my estimation we need just under $4,000 yet-unless it stretches out so long that we have to update more paperwork...then it will be a little more.) The updates the ICAB asked for are finally done! Please pray for very quick approval!!!

I am praying that God will provide a way for us to pay off all our debt in the next couple years. We have been working at it, but every time we get a step ahead, we take two steps back, such as hospital bills, unforseen house repairs, etc!!

I have great hope that God will open up doors of opportunity to help others know God's heart for children through adoption and through caring for orphans in 2012.

More than anything, I pray that in 2012 we will see many people in our neighborhood and community come to know Christ in a personal way. I pray that my life will be a witness to everyone I meet and that He will continue to guide me and I will continue to listen closely to His voice.

As 2011 comes to a close, take some time to dream and hope for 2012. God has good plans for us! No matter what happens, if we trust in Him, He will see us through. Have a very blessed New Year!!!

Discouraged....

It's been one of those weeks, starting with two days prior to Thanksgiving, getting a notice from the ICAB (Philippines adoption board) saying that they needed a couple more bits of information from us....information, not easy to acquire, especially so close to the holiday. We are now waiting on our psycholgist to write a letter including test results and some other information the ICAB needed. We also had to go to my former boss because they said they needed my prior employee to send in a reference because I have only been at my current job for 3 1/2 years, not the required 5 years. Our social worker said that is not even a requirement she has ever heard of! Anyway, I went the Monday after Thanksgiving and talked to my prior boss. She said she would do a reference letter. Then on Tuesday of that week, I got very sick and ended up having to have an emergency appendectomy. So, I have been out of commission for a week. And  today we are still waiting to get the reference letter and the letter from the psychologist. I have to admit, I am discouraged. Here we are getting close to the Christmas season and I thought we would know by now. I thought we would be able to send Christmas packages. I am struggling with the craziness of all the government is asking of us. It seems rediculous. Have you ever just been so discouraged, you want to quit? That's how I feel right now. Discouraged beyond my ability to keep on going on. Discouraged because this is taking an overwhelming amount of time. Just plain discouarged....And yet, I know we are following the will of God and that He has everything under control. That is the knowledge that gives me strength to carry on even through this overwhelming time of discouragement. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers. Pray that we will get these letters this week and that they will be everything the ICAB requires so they can approve us to adopt.  Pray that there will be no more bumps in the road and that our adoption journey will go smoothly from here on out. Pray that we will continue to know what direction God is taking us. Thank you for your prayers!!!

Mission 1:27 Christmas Wish List

Yes, it's that time of the year again!! Only 2 months until one of my favorite days of the year: Christmas! I love the anticipation of the little children, the sparkling lights, the brightly colored packages under the tree. I love the joyous music, the children in the Christmas plays, and the yummy goodies on the red and green trays; but most of all, I love the wonder of the story of the virgin Mary and my Savior who was born as a humble baby in a stall where cattle feed. The message of the Savior is meant for all mankind. I want to encourage you today to plan with your family to do something special this Christmas season for someone in need. Mission 1:27 has gathered a Christmas wish list from several of our orphanages around the world. There is such great need and so many children who need to feel the love of the Savior this Christmas. We are working with many missionaries all over the world that work with orphanages and children's homes. So many of them do not have the funds to provide for all the needs. Here is a sample of our Mission 1:27 Christmas wish list:

1. $100 for an awareness campaign on human trafficking in Nepal


2. $150 for a girls feeding program in Bangladesh

3. $150 for to support a Bible club in Lithuania

4. $150 for VBS material in the Philippines

5. $150 for a feeding program in Jamaica

6. $150 for housing in Guatemala

7. Up to $5,000 for multiple orphanage needs in Mexico, Including $200 for Christmas dinner for one orphanage.

8. Any amount for camping supplies in Russia

Thanks for showing God's children that He truly cares for them!! Any donations can be given at http://www.mission127.com/ securely through paypal. Be sure to put in the memo line which project you wish to donate to so we can give proper credit! A little gift can go a LONG way! God bless!!

I Give Up!

I have to be honest with you. I'm frustrated. I am a planner. I like to have everything prepared. I'm a doer, a "Martha", per say. I NEED to be working, serving, doing something! I have difficulty "giving up", basking in God's presence, and trusting Him to take care of me. I have trouble being "Mary" sitting at His feet, worshipping Him, without a worry in my mind of all things that need to be accomplished.  God asks us to "serve", "do", and "work" to accomplish His purpose; however, at this point in our adoption journey, I  feel God telling me to "give up", rest at His feet and simply trust Him.

 I've spent the last few weeks scouring the internet to find adoption grants, filling out the application paperwork, laying awake at 1:00 AM wracking my brain for effective fundraisers, sending out letters to family and friends, listing items on e-bay and NONE of it is getting us anywhere close to where we need to be.  We are only $40.00 closer to our goal (Thank you to the 4 friends who donated $10 each through facebook! We do appreciate your effort and every bit of support helps!!!) We have cut back on our personal expenses, given all our tax refund toward our adoption, and prayed for inspiration. We've literally done all we can do. So, I am giving up. Yes, we may get a call any day and need $6,100.00 at the drop of a hat. No, we don't have $6,100.00 in the bank and I  don't want to go into debt to pay for this adoption. There will be numerous expenses once the adoption is complete, including medical bills, additional furniture for the new child, and of course the day to day expenses. It doesn't make sense to go into debt and I don't think that is God's will for us.

 Is it easy to sit back, trust God and not worry about how we are going to pay for it? Not at all! I am struggling with the overwhelming stress of it all, but I know He is guiding our steps. Since God has called us to this adoption, He is going to take care of every aspect of it, including the finances.  Sometimes, we just need to "give up", sit at His feet and TRUST Him to take care of all our needs. Sometimes we need to spend time basking in His presence, worshipping Him without worrying about how His plan is going to come together and remember that He can make it happen-without our help! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths..." Prov. 3:5-6

One Hundred Good Wishes

Dear Family and Friends,
We have one more fundraiser going on right now in order to raise the money needed to bring our child home. We are still waiting for the official approval to adopt a little 6 year old girl. We are not allowed to post pictures or give any other specific information on-line about the child, but as soon as  (IF) we get the approval (hopefully any day now!!) we need to send in $6100 to the Philippines for her medical appointment, visa processing, donation to her orphanage, etc. This fundraiser is called One Hundred Good wishes. This will be sort of a documentation of all the people who are supporting us through this adoption. You can send us encouraging words for a donation of any amount and we will be able to someday share with our child the many "wishes" ( or blessings) given to him or her. Just click on the One Hundred good wishes link on the side of my blog and it will take you to our page. All payments go securely through paypal. Thank you again for your love and support. We cannot do this without you!

PS Don't forget the scentsy fundraiser: http://www.stephanielush.scentsy.us/ under the Lewis Adoption Fundraiser link. GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS! We also we have listed some things on ebay under the seller "revsnoopy". All proceeds will be going toward our adoption!! Thank you!

Fundraisers: We need your help!

We are still waiting....I feel that this waiting time is our time to prepare the funds needed when we get the referral, so we have a couple fundraisers going on, lots of prayers and faith that God knows what we need! Many people have helped us get to this point and we are so very thankful for that; however, we have also sacrificed much of our own funds and our savings account is basically nil.  It seems like every time we save a little, an unexpected expense arises. (for example: air conditioning out in my car in middle of the 100 degree weather; several doctor visits for various members of the family; etc!) I KNOW that God is faithful and He will help us have the funds we need when we need it. We have a $4,000 Show Hope Grant and my boss at work recently told me that my employer will donate $1,000 toward our travel! Praise the Lord! That should cover our travel expenses in full!

My immediate concern is the $6,100 that will be due less than 2 weeks after we recieve the official "referral". (Which could be any day!)  This money goes to the Philippines to provide the visa, medical exams, orphanage donation, and paperwork for our child to come home. We have very little in our account toward this expense, so we are working on some fundraisers: 1) My friend Stephanie Lush is doing a scentsy fundraiser for us. These are wickless candles-and they are amazing! The initial investment is a little more than candles, but the scented wax is less costly than candles...and the commission is donated toward our adoption! Check out http://www.stephanielush.scentsy.us/ and click on the Lewis Adoption Fundraiser to order on-line. 2)  Also, over the next couple weeks, we will be putting various items on e-bay. Check out the seller "revsnoopy" and all items will be going toward our adoption. 3) We are doing a $10 friend donation on Facebook. My friend suggested if each of our facebook friends donated just $10, we would be at our goal!

If anyone has any other great fundraiser ideas for adoption, please post them here! We need your help!!! This is one of those things that takes the body of Christ working together for a common good and we appreciate all of you who continue to support us through prayer and finances! We can't wait to see this come together in His perfect timing!!!

Waiting.....

Well....we are still waiting. Waiting to hear the news of whether or not this little girl will be our daughter. It has been 2 weeks today since we sent in our letter of intent to adopt her. The waiting gets harder every day!!! I have learned through the amazing world wide web that there is another family wanting to adopt the same little girl. They adopted her best friend 3 years ago...so I am thinking that maybe the Philippine government will have that family adopt this little girl. I am fine with that. I really am. I want what is best for everyone involved. I just don't like to wait. And please...for the sake of the little girl, make a decision so she can go home to a family. She's been in an orphanage for all her life! * sigh* Unfortunately, I know that if we are not the family chosen for this little girl, then there will be many more months of waiting. Pray for me....I really don't do waiting well.

Adoption update!!!

Oh, my goodness, how time flies...I realized that my poor blog has been woefully neglected and it has been almost 2 months since I have posted!!! Time flies looking back, but right now it is going painfully S-L-O-W!!! Earlier this month we requested more information on a little girl off the special home finding list. After looking at her file, and having it reviewed by several medical specialists, and lots of prayer, we decided that she just might be the one for our family....so we proceeded with the adoption, requesting that the Philippines adoption board approve us to be the parents of this little girl. Now the wait is on. We are waiting to see if they will approve us for her. It is in God's hands now, but it is so hard not to get attached to her sweet little face. It has been 1 week since we requested. I have heard of it taking anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months and I am praying that it will be sooner, rather than later!!!!! Please, please pray with us. Also, we have come to a point in our adoption journey that we need to raise some serious funds. A big chunk of $6,100 is due as soon as (IF) they approve us for this child, and so we are brainstorming and trying to figure out a way to come up with the money. I will be auctioning a bunch of stuff on e-bay pretty soon-all proceeds toward our adoption and we have filled out some more grant paperwork. I am praying for favor and inspiration!!! Please keep us in your prayers. This has been a journey of faith, patience and trust, and the journey has just begun.  Thanks to those of you who have shared financially and prayerfully in our adoption journey! We can't wait to see what God has in store for our family!!!

A dream

I've been pondering lately the dream God has given me. A dream to help kids around the world who are desperately in need of a father's love and ultimately the Heavenly Father's love. A dream of making a difference in their lives, of doing more than just adopting one. A dream of helping many find forever homes and really seeing lives changed. Where do I go from here? My husband and I have taken a step of faith through adoption, but I really believe God wants more from me. I want more for my life. I don't want to go through life teaching my children that it's all about the "stuff" we aquire and about living a comfortable life. I want to teach my children compassion and the love of our Father God. I desire to go to places and to physically be a representative of His love. I am feeling the pull of a God-given dream, but how do I make a dream reality? I've prayed for open doors, but sometimes I think God requires us to step out in faith before the doors are open. Please pray with me that God will show me the steps to take in the months ahead.

More Bumps

I haven't written again in so long because, first of all, it has been a crazy summer and second of all...we are STILL waiting to get our dossier finished in order to mail it to the Philippines. I have been so frustrated that I didn't even want to write about it!!! We finally recieved a I-800 A approval over three weeks ago. We thought all our other paperwork was ready to go, but our agency found two more things which we need to update before we send it in. So, I have a doctor's appointment on Friday to re-do my medical exam and we just received the paper back from the psychologist which was not previously notarized. I know God's timing is perfect, but we never really expected the paperwork on the US end to take this long. We have also been putting in requests for informaiton on several children from the waiting children list, but every time we ask, the child is already on hold for someone else. I am glad the children are in the process of getting adopted, but I don't really understand how the waiting chidlren list works for the Philippines! We cannot seem to even get information on any of the children on the list. In the mean time, we did recieve a HUGE praise report! We are going to recieve a $4,000 grant toward our adoption expenses from Show Hope!!! I am super excited about this!!!  I know God is working, but it is hard to see and understand His timing. My kids are even sensing the frustration. My son, Micah who is 6 years old said this in his bedtime prayers the other night, "Lord, please help this adoption thing to hurry up and the new kid to come home soon!" I have to concur with that prayer! Please pray for the paperwork to be expidited and for us to find our child on the waiting child list soon!!

Bumps in the Road

I cannot even remember the last time I posted to my blog. Time is going by quickly, with nothing really going on in the adoption front. We are still waiting for our FBI fingerprints to be processed and the I800A to come back. Please pray with me that it happens quickly. Right now I am feeling frustrated beyond belief. It is difficult to pour into the adoption financially and see so little movement toward the actual day we bring our child home. We put our entire tax return toward our adoption, and in the past week so many things have gone wrong! Our over-the-stove microwave was zapped by lightening. Our washing machine has had difficulty spinning. This morning I went to check the washer and the clothes were sopping wet and water leaking on the floor. Um, yeah...not good when the laundry is piling up and overtaking my house! The airconditioning is acting up in my car and it is HOT out there. Part of me wants to say, "God, what are you trying to tell us?? Did we not hear you right?", but I remembered this mornnig something my wise father-in-law said once. " Just because you encounter bumbs or roadblocks in your way does not always mean you are on the wrong path." Some people might want to discourage us in our adoption journey when they see the road blocks we are encountering, but I believe these difficulties will show us God's faithfulness in a whole new way. We serve a God who can lift us up over the road blocks or take us around the road blocks or make the road blocks disappear. However He so chooses, I believe we are on the right path and I am going to trust Him to provide. Please, please, please pray with us! I can't wait to share with you the answers to our prayers!

God Doesn't Want Your Money, He Wants Your Heart!

My blogs have been few and far between. On the adoption front, we are waiting for our I800A to get done so we can send in our dossier to the Philippines, so it has been SLOW...but we went to a very incredible adoption conference last weekend and I would encourage anyone who is adopting to check out http://www.empoweredtoconnect.com/ and even attend the conference in September in Nashville. The information they presented is invaluable for parenting an adopted child. 

Something God has been speaking to me lately is that God really doesn't want our money (He has no need for money! LOL) ,He wants our hearts. Does that mean you shouldn't give your tithe or give to missions? Absolutely not! It means that He wants more than our money. He wants our whole beings, our hearts, from the inside out. Once He has our heart, He will begin speaking to us about giving. Giving to the poor, Giving to missions, giving our tithes, helping those in need. You might hear Him say to you, "Send an extra gift to your missionary friends" or "I want you to sponsor a child from Latin American Childcare"or "You need to step out in faith and give X amount of dollars to help someone adopt"...once God gets a hold of your heart and you are listening and walking with Him, He will change how you handle your money. He will give you a generous Spirit, and you will be able to trust Him to provide for your needs in a new and fresh way. God really doesn't want your money, He wants your heart. I believe there are many people who have asked Jesus to come into their hearts, but they really haven't given their hearts completely to Him, and they aren't able to hear and obey when God speaks to them, espceially regarding their finances. It's not a one time gift or just a committment to give your 10%, It's a life of listening and obeying and following Him fully. God doesn't want your money...He wants your heart.

Sacrificial giving

I believe in sacrificial giving. The very basis of the Gospel is how Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins. I believe we as Christians in America fall short in the area of sacrificial giving. So many of us pay our tithe (and many don't even do that!) and maybe an extra $25 in the missions offering, and then we feel proud of ourselves for giving more than God asks us to; however, that is not what Christianity is about. It is about sacrificial giving, in all areas of our life, including our pocketbooks!!! In America, it is each man for themselves. How big of house can I get? How nice of car can I drive? What fine dining restauarant can I eat at? We pay little concern for the many around the world living in deep, depressing poverty. We pay little concern that our lifestyle of greed is sin. Why has God blessed us? What is our money for? God's Word teaches us to give to the poor, to take care of the needy, to fight for the underprivledged and I find that many people I talk to either A) don't really care and care more about their own lives and situation or B) don't really think about it much. We don't live with poverty in our faces everyday, but just because we can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. The need is great. It is overwhelming. It is astounding. BUT if we all learn to give sacrificially, the need will be met. God's plan and purpose includes you and me. It includes givng of our money, our time and for some of us our very lives. God will bless us if we will learn to give. I pray that God continues to give me a heart for sacrificial giving and that His heartbeat will become mine.

Adoption Frustration....

I'll be honest. The past few weeks in our adoption journey have been so frustrating that I haven't felt like blogging...so that is why my posts have been so few and far between! Our home study is STILL not finalized!! And it was supposed to be done weeks ago....*sigh* Really, I ddin't pray for patience!!! I know God in His perfect plan has a reason for all these delays. I know it in my mind, but I am having a hard time dealing with my frustration. We are waiting for our home study to be done so we can 1) File the I-800A, a form with the US government that gives us the official approval to adopt and 2) so we can apply for some adoption grants.

It is so easy in our finite mind to get frustrated when God's timing doesn't match up to what we think should happen. It is so hard to trust God and be patient! Please pray with us that our home study is finalized this week so we can move on to the next step. Please pray with us that God will give us wisdom and show us the right child for our family. Please pray with us that Mission 1:27 will grow and we will be able to meet the needs of children around the world. I believe God has a specific plan and even though I can't see all the pieces to the puzzle, I know His hand is guiding us. Thanks to everyone who is holding us up in prayer. This journey could not be done without you.

We Cannot Ignore their cries

A few nights ago, my husband showed me a video that I cannot get out of my mind. Two missionaries went out into a very remote village in Uganda and what they found is beyond words. They found two children, literally left in the dirt, face down, starving to death. They could not walk, but would scoot around in circles in the dirt, grasping for hope. Their older sister, who we found out was 8 years old, returned from who knows where with a tub of water. She dragged the kids to the tub of water and cleaned them up. There were no adults around. The children were left to starve to death, except for an eight year old who cared enough to try to clean them up. The good news of the story is that the missionaries were able to raise money to get hospital care and food for the two younger children and find a private home with a guardian for the 8 year old. The children will live. They have been given hope and shown the love of Christ through someone who cared enough to be moved with compassion for their plight.

The church cannot ignore the cries of children any longer. There are so many children starving, beaten, abused, sold into prostitution and they are crying out for hope. God did not intend for children to be treated this way and His heart is breaking. He is compelling many of us to do something NOW. Did you know that if you want to adopt a healthy infant, there is often a waiting list, sometimes of several years? However, there are countless numbers of older children and special needs children that have been waiting and waiting for a family to adopt them. There are 14 and 15 year olds who are aging out of orphanages and being turned back onto the streets to fend for themselves. Many of those end up as prostittues because they are forced to find a way to live.

Don't ignore the cries of children around the world today. God's heart is moved with compassion and our hearts should be too. God is compelling us to do something...give up your Starbucks for a week, give up your lunch for a day, sponsor a child through latin american child care. You say, how can that little bit help? If you start with a little and you allow God to use you in a "little" way, He will begin to move on your heart with compassion and soon you will be allowing God to use you in a "mighty" way! Darren and I, along with some of our friends from our church have started a ministry called Mission 1:27. Right now, we don't have much by way of funding, but we are beleiving that God is going to move on people's hearts to give. Our passion is for children around the world to be reached with the Gospel through love. If you want to start by donating and helping us with our passion, go to http://www.mission127.com/ and find out some of the projects we have waiting to be funded. We cannot ignore the cries of the hurting children any longer.

Pray for us also as we are in the process of adopting. We really feel God has a "waiting" child for us. Please pray that God gives the wisdom and compassion to know how to care for our new son or daughter because we can only imagine the things which have happened in that little child's life. Our God is a God of restoration and I believe that He will restore our child and begin a healing process in his or her heart even now!

The Desires of my Heart

It's been a long time since my last blog post. We've had a sad twist in our road of life. My mother-in-law went to be with the Lord on March 2nd. She was diagnosed with cancer a year ago and went through chemo and radiation treatments. She seemed to be doing well at Christmas time, but shortly after the first of the year she developed a fever. The doctors searched and did all sorts of tests, but couldn't find any infection. Instead, they found that cancer had spread all throughout her body. So the past couple months have been an exhausting journey, and though it has been rough, our God has been faithful to us. Needless to say, we have had little time to focus on our adoption. Now, as we are getting back into a "new normal" routine, I find myself thinking about the desires that are still deep within my heart and wondering when God is going to answer my hidden longings.

I've got to be honest, for the last several months, I've been feeling a stirring and a longing to do something more for God. I've been feeling discontent with my life the way it is. The routine of getting up and going to work and coming home, working around the house and falling into bed exhausted. I want to do more to reach the lost, but I feel stuck. There are so many unfullfilled desires in my heart and I keep asking God to change my desires to match His plan for my life; the desires keep intensifying. I want our adoption to go more quickly. I'm frustrated with the time it is taking to get our home study approved. I desire to work with Mission 1:27, and help orphans and raise awareness around the world for adoption, but the funding just isn't there. I want to write and share with others God's passion for children around the world, but I just don't have the time. Where do I go from here? I have to keep working full-time and I am so very grateful for my job, but I feel like I am trapped, doing what I am really not called to do. I have a vision, a dream, but no way to get to the fullfillment of that dream. God, I desperately want to follow your plan for my life. If these desires are not from you, please change them and make my heart desire what you have for me. If they are from you, please open up the doors to the fullfillment of these desires. These desires are becoming a desperation and I am having difficulty doing my day to day routine as it is right now. Please, Lord, show me and I will follow you through whatever door You open. I will do WHATEVER you call me to do, HOWEVER you call me to do it. Please, Lord, show me clearly; speak directly and give me the faith to walk where you lead. I need Your clear guidance, Your peace and joy. I need Your wisdom, Your heart for the lost, and Your creativity. Part the Red Sea and let me walk on dry ground; Show me Your way when there seems to be no way. In my desperation let me cling more closely to the cross and find a faith to see beyond the everyday routine. Lord, let my passions become Your passions and continue to break my heart for what breaks Yours. Compell me to action, to give like I've never given before, to go where I've never gone before; Use my weaknesses (there are many!) and let Your strength take over. Lord, let Your plan for my life prevail and let everything I do bring glory to Your name.

The God who KNOWS part II

This blog post has little to do with our adoption, but it is something that has been brewing in my mind and heart since my last post about the God who knows. It will apply to pretty much anyone and everyone, so make sure you pass it on if you find it inspiring or thought provoking.

Have you ever thought about the power of knowledge? If you know someone in an intimate relationship, a close friend, a spouse, a son or daughter, you form a bond with them that is not easily broken. In battle, knowledge is priceless. If you know your enemy's next move, or you know where the enemy has hidden, you will win the battle. We serve the God of all knowledge. The Scripture is full of verses showing us just how much He knows.
 He knows you intimately. He knows your name. He knows your thoughts, your life, your hurts, your desires. You may be familar with Psalm 139, but I encourage you to read it again. Our God is a God who created each one of us and who knows your comings and your goings, who knit you together in our mother's womb. Psalm 44:21 says He "knows the secrets of the heart". He knows your needs. Matthew 6:8b "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." His knowledge of you is not just a head knowledge; it is an intimate knowledge, a loving, compassionate burning desire for you to know Him in the way He knows you. He's not a God far-off, letting the world tear itself apart; He's a God who "knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19.) Like a Father who knows His child, He knows you and He loves you.

Not only does He know you intimately and care deeply for you,  He knows your future. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you" delcares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope." When we are in the midst of a trial, He knows what comes next. Nothing can thwart the plans of God, and His plans for you are GOOD! 2 Peter 2:9  says He "knows how to rescue the godly from trials." Wow! Only our God can rescue us from the trials of this world, because He knows how. He knows your enemy and can combat his next move. He knows your outcome. Job 23:10 said "he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold."

He knows so much more than this, but these are just a few things to ponder.  Trusting the God who knows should be so easy, but in the midst of waiting and in the midst of difficult times, it isn't. Our family is going through a trial right now and I am learning to trust the One who knows in a whole new way. Aren't you glad that in the midst of so much unknown, and waiting for an answer, that there is One who knows? When you don't know how to pray, He still knows what you are trying to say. When you are torn by uncertainty, there is One who knows and He holds you in the palm of His hand.

God's plan of redemption

The world is full of injustice. Disgusting, dispicable acts against children and women that I don't even want to think about.  So often we try to blame God for the injustice in the world and wonder how a God of love could allow millions of girls to be sold into sexual slavery, babies to die of hunger, children to be abused by their fathers; but our blame is very misplaced. It is OUR sin that brought injustice into this world, perpetrated by the Devil himself through temptation. It is the very consequences to OUR sin that brough death, destruction, poverty, hatred and cruelty to the world. God never intended for there to be orphans, poverty,or pain; however, our God is a God of redemption and He is a God with a plan. His plan included sending His only Son to die on the cross for each and every one of us and His plan was victorious on the day that He raised His Son from the Dead, giving us victory from death ,Hell and the grave. His plan is a beautiful plan of redemption and grace, of selfless living, of giving life to the undeserving. I, though, undeserving recieved grace from my heavenly Father. I was adopted into His family, so that I can have eternal life. In so caring for the orphans, widows and abandoned of this world, not only are we fullfilling our part in God's redemptive plan, but we are reflecting the very heart of God. Those children are His children. He wants to be their Father. How will they ever know the love of their Father if we don't reach out to them and show them? If we don't care for their needs? If we don't give them a family? God loves the orphans. They are His children as much as I am His child. They are my "brothers" and "sisters". I cannot sit here in my cushy couch, stuffing my face with my favorite snack, watching tv and do nothing about the need in this world. Proverbs 24:12 tells us, “Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act.”
Pray that God will open your eyes anew to the need in this world. Pray that God will show you how to respond to that need. We aren't called to share out of our excess, we are simply called to share what we have.

Living Simply

I was reading through some blogs the other day and I ran accross this quote  from one of our Missionaries, Glen Garrison, that really stuck with me  "We must learn to live more simply so that others may simply live." What a powerful word. We in America are so blessed. We have so much stuff. We have above and beyond what we need to live. In so many places around this world, people do not even have clean water to drink. They have only 1/2 a cup of rice a day, or less.  In a several countries in Africa, parents don't even give their child a name until they reach the age of 5 because such a large percentage of children die in those first few years. When I stopped to think about this statement, I wondered why I was born in America. Was it because God loves me more? Was it because I deserve it? No, God does not love me more and, no I don't deserve to live in luxury any more than an orphan deserves to live in poverty; however, I do believe that God  expects us to share our blessings with those in need. He says in Luke 12:48b "When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required" We in America have been given much. What will we do with what we have been given?

I've decided this year to strive to live more simply. I've never been a person to spend money on designer jeans or purses; I've never been a person who buys name brand shoes and fills my closet with all kinds of shoes, only to wear each pair one time; but I do believe that I can live more simply. One thing I love to do is bargain shop. There is nothing wrong with bargain shopping; however, I often find myself purchasing something just because it's a good deal and not because I really NEED it! I also like to eat out, and I love my Starbucks! There's nothing wrong with eating out or an occasional Starbucks, but it does cost a lot. What could I do with the money I save by taking my lunch most days instead of eating out? I could fund a project with Mission 1:27, maybe even feed one of those orphans which I shared about in my previous post or sponsor another child through Latin American Childcare.  Most of us in America live in extravagance compared to the rest of the world, where millions of people struggle to barely live. What could you do today to live more simply, in order to help someone around the world simply live?

My heart for Orphans: Mission 1:27

Today we are launching an e-touch campaign for the orphan care and adoption ministry my husband and I started in our church, so I just want to take a few minutes to share with my followers my heart for orphans around the world. As my husband and I began this journey of adoption, our heart was broken for the destitute, abandoned and abused children of the world. God began to speak to our hearts about doing something to help these children.  It is an amazing story how God has begun to create in us a picture of His love for the world and out of this passion for Him and His heart for children was birthed a ministry called Mission 1:27. Today we were sent a story from one of our missionaries at an orphanage and I want to share a portion of this e-mail with you. For the protection of the children and the missionaries, I am not including the name or the location of the orphanage.

"Today we received two new children. Some policemen found these two little precious out the day before New Year's Eve, alone, trying to keep each other warm next to a concrete wall, on a pile of rubbish out on 15 degree weather. They were left to die.No birth certificate, no identity, they don't exist in our state's eyes. They were poorly dressed with what the employees from the center had brought from home.When our children saw them, they all ran to their closets and brought them clothes and toys.

Of course the clothes were too big and the new children couldn't enjoy the toys, they were too frightened. They are so tiny, beaten (the boy has cigarette burns on his bottom), unfed, never even had a bottle, the only food they are used to is dried out bread. They rather stay squeezed in a corner and can't communicate. I don't know the last time we saw such a pitiful sight. But having them and being able to care for them, blessed our hearts.
If any of you would like to help with the initial needs of these children, these are the following:

We need to run some medical tests, and because they have no id number, it all costs a lot.
We need diapers and shoes. They are so small we need stuff for 1yo and 2yo.

Also we took these children in by faith, the cost of feeding one child is $80 a month"

My heart broke for these children and for the multitudes of children like this around the world. These children need the love of Christ, and one way we can show the love of Christ is by providing for their physical needs. I wish I personally had the funds to help these children. Everytime I hear a story, I want to help; but there is no way I can do this alone. This is why Mission 1:27 exsists. If you would like to help, please go to our website at http://www.mission127.com/ and donate through our secure paypal account or mail a check to the address found on that site. Please know that 100% of your donation will go to help children such as these around the world. God has called us to make a difference and together we can! Please share this post and the website information with anyone and everyone! Spread the word and change the lives of children around the world!

The God Who KNOWS

The last several nights have fallen into a pattern during our nightly bedtime prayers with the kids. Natalie, who is 9 and recently decided she wants a sister,  prays "I pray that we would adopt a girl and she would get here soon." Micah  (who is 6 years old) prays, "I pray for a boy and he would get here faster!" He wants a "twin" brother who is his age, mostly to play legos with him. So tonight, I decided this was a good time to have a little discussion with them about God and prayers. I explained to them that we need to pray that God would send us the right child, boy or girl, who will fit into our family. I explained to them that there are many boys and girls who have no mommy or daddy, and we need to pray that God has one chosen just for our family and He will bring that child to us at the right time.

As I began to speak to my children, I had one of those mommy-moments. You know, when you are sharing something with your child and you realize that what you are saying is something that you, as the mom, needs to hear! And so as I thought and prayed some more about it I realized just how much God knows about my child whom I know nothing about right now.We don't know if it is a boy or girl, if he or she is 4 or 9 or somewhere in between,  but God knows. He knows the child's name, birthday and personality. He knows where the child is right now and He knows the child's deepest hurts and fears.  He knows the child's deepest desires and longings for a family. He knows the child who needs Natalie to be a sister and Micah to be a brother-God has this child chosen to fit into our family. I know it won't always be easy and there will be transition, but God has hand-picked this child for us. He knows his or her every moment, every joy, every tear..his or her's past, present and future and He has good plans for this child. I cannot imagine this adoption process without knowing the GOD who knows my child's name, who heals my child's hurts and answers my child's cry for a family. Thank you, God, for knowing and loving my child in a way that I cannot. Thank you, God, for allowing me to be a vessel of your love to this child. Thank you, God, for knowing what I can and cannot handle and for hand-picking a child for our family. "God places the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6a

Trying not to stress....

Our final homestudy is Thursday. I have been cleaning for 3 days....My house is pretty close to immacculate. (Now if we can only keep it that way for two days!)  I am not stressing about the homestudy, I'm stressing about the money. I know I shouldn't. God has provided thus far. In fact, we recieved another donation on Sunday in the amount of $550, but we just recieved an e-mail with the total amount owed on Thursday--$3100. We have $2800 in the account.  We can take $300 out of our savings, so we are alright for Thursday, but then, we have paperwork that we have to do which will cost almost $1000 and another $3500 will be due at the completion of the paperwork. I am trying not to stress....I know God will provide, as He has thus far, but it is still difficult! So...please pray for us that God will provide the funds for us and give me strength to make it through the next few months as we work through the stacks and stacks of paperwork. I can't wait to get through the paperwork and get our approval so I can begin the REAL waiting!!

A new year: Reflection and Prayer for the new year

Seriously, I am not normally a resolution kind of gal, but it is a new year and I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the overwhelming things God has put into motion in my life during 2010, and also put a few "resolutions" down on paper in the form of a prayer. The year 2010 was a year which God really stretched my faith and He began to teach me to listen closely to hear Him speak. He stretched my faith to give more money than I ever thought we would be able to and I cannot even begin to write about all the blessings we saw in return! I cannot wait to give even more in 2011! He asked our family to take a huge step of faith and begin the adoption process. It has been slow going, but I know that He has put into motion in His timing to give us the right child for our family. The past couple days have been busy with cleaning the house for our homestudy scheduled for next week.

Looking ahead to the year 2011, I pray that God opens up more doors of oportunity to share the love of Christ with orphans around the world. I am looking forward to going on the first missions trip planned by Mission 1:27 to the Hillcrest orphanage in Arkansas. I pray that God uses me in ways I never thought possible. I pray that God stretches my faith to give more to missions. I pray that God expands my time, so I can have solitary time to write. I pray that God will open my eyes to the lost of the world and give me creative ways to reach them. I pray that when God speaks, I will listen and obey. I pray that God will protect my children and by some miracle, we will be able to complete our adoption in 2011.  Afterall, we do serve a miracle working God!

I am looking forward to the adventure God has in store for 2011! We serve an awesome and amazing God!