Archive for the ‘Thoughts to ponder’ Category
-
What if I won the lottery…..
I’ve been hearing people talk about what they would do with the money all day long. I listened to people talk about buying a house in every country so they could travel everywhere but stay in their own home. I heard someone even mention buying the “E” channel so they could fire all the Kardashians. Baseball teams and football teams were mentioned. Fancy cars, furs, jewels, gold, boats, etc. I heard it all. Of course, they would take their family on trips. They would pay off bills. They would give some away. But we are talking about 1/2 billion dollars. Maybe they just haven’t put any thought into it, but man I have. I have put some serious thought into how I would spend that kind of money.
Can you even imagine? I mean you will lose 1/2 of it to taxes, but still you would have the ability to spend $250,000,000 plus. I can barely wrap my head around the thought of that much money. But believe me I know exactly what I would do with that money. I would fund so many adoptions – domestic and international. I would get rid of that “We just don’t have the money.” excuse. I would pay for surgeries for clefts, and little broken hearts, and club feet. Show Hope, Hope Foster Home and Love Without Boundaries and I would become fast friends. The work they do is so absolutely AMAZING! I would help them do even more. $25 million to each for starters. Just boom write out a check and let them do their work. Can you actually fit that many zeros on a check? 🙂 Foster homes would be funded because I believe that getting children out of institutionalized care is so important. Children would be fed. Wells would be dug. There are so many organizations around the world that are doing really great work. They just need support and funding. There are so many people who have given their lives to make a difference.
My dream of becoming a philanthropist would become a reality. My heart races with the thought of it all. But the odds are 1 in 17,500,000. I heard someone say that you have a better chance of being hit by lightning – TWICE! So now what? The news is just in and I didn’t win. So there is nothing I can do right? Wrong! I can do something. I can sponsor one child getting a cleft and that is huge to that child. I can give every time I hear about a family that is adopting. I can support those people and places that are making a difference and spread the word of what they are doing as often as I can. I believe that Satan wants us to believe the world is too evil. He wants us to believe that there is nothing we can do. He wants us to believe that we are helpless, but what is that saying about our God? I’m not able to do much, but God is able to do everything. Everything is possible through Christ. Everything. It’s time we take our eyes off of the new car, the new house, the new gadget, and put it where it really belongs – on those that are less fortunate that us. We have so much. Just think about how much is in your house right now. Do you really need more? I know I don’t. I want to make a difference. I want my life to matter. I want every day to be spent thinking about someone other than myself.
Why do I believe so much in adoption? Why? Because every day I wake up and see the most amazing scene. I see two little children who just 7 months ago were in an orphanage. Children that were quiet and afraid and wouldn’t even bother to cry because they had learned no one comes when you cry so why bother. How sad is that? What does that do to a child’s heart? Just weeks later, it had started to change and now months later they wake up with such joy that is it overwhelming. They are so content with the littlest things. They laugh and giggle and hug and kiss. They just want to be loved. How can we say that anything is more important that loving a child? How can we stand by and do nothing when we have so much?
I have had people who really don’t understand it. There are those who still think I have lost my mind, but after being around Ben and Maisey for even a little bit – they get it! When you stand in my yard and watch those two little ones run down a hill, just loving life, you know you’ve made a difference. Isn’t that what we really want? To make a difference. To have our lives matter. I don’t want to be remembered for the car I drove or how clean my house was (I can pretty much guarantee that one now.). I like being Ben’s mom, Maisey’s mom, Cassie’s mom, Zachary’s mom, Kyle’s mom, Codey’s mom, Hope’s mom, Lainey’s mom, Lauren’s mom, Eli’s mom, Gracie’s mom, Faith’s mom. It used to bother me that no one really knew my name, but now I’m okay with just being mama. I don’t care if anyone remembers me for anything more than having happy, content children, with compassionate hearts that put God first. If this happens, I will have made my mark on this world and will have made a difference. And I didn’t even need the lottery to do it.
-
Let your light shine
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within is. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson
I love this saying so much. Mainly because I have always wanted to not stand out. I didn’t want to be different. I didn’t want to make a splash or ruffle anyone’s feathers. I have been talking to quite a few women lately – self-professed people pleasers. They all want the same thing to be in control, to stay under the radar, to not cause any problems.
I have decided that I no longer wish to live this way. I have, in fact, lived that way most of my earlier life and to some degree through my 20’s & 30″s. I was never sure of myself enough to speak up. I never wanted to cause friction. I have actually been made fun of for being too happy. I have watched it with my daughter, Cassie, too, this has probably helped me in seeing my happiness as objectively as I can and understanding why people say what they say. How can someone fault you for being enthusiastic or happy or content?
I have decided that my enthusiasm which is about my loving God and my life should be allowed to show. In fact, I do a lot of “This Little Light of Mine” singing. (In my head of course, I don’t want to punish people.) I can not show the glory and the work of God in my life if I’m afraid to talk about it for fear of what others might say. That is why I post what is happening with the adoptions on Facebook and my blog. I want others to see that I am trusting God in this matter. I want them to be able to see that faith doesn’t mean I have all the answers. It just means I know who does. I should not be afraid to show that. I should not be afraid to show my enthusiasm for this life in which I have the honor of living. In fact, the word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words “en theos,” which means “in God.” God has blessed me for having the faith to walk with him. I want everyone to understand that although I live a very comfortable life now that is NOT what I am talking about. God has blessed me in many ways but the blessings I am talking about are my husband and my children. I am lucky enough to be married to my soul mate and my best friend. I believe with my whole heart that it is God leading us because God is talking to both of us with exactly the same dreams.
I can be happy with very little and with a lot. I have been without food. I understand hungry. I understand not having money to pay bills or do anything fun. But I am and have always been happy. Happy is not the right word exactly. It is content. It is as Paul said, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11 Content means knowing you have enough. Content means to live without coveting your neighbors things. Content is knowing when your husbands arms are around you, nothing else matters. Content means knowing that the worst thing in life isn’t doing without things. The worst thing in life is losing someone you love. This can and will happen throughout your life. Don’t live with regrets. Love with your whole heart. Hold those you love near and pray for your enemies. Life is too short to waste on bitterness and anger.
I have a hard time with letting my light shine because then people say things like “you are amazing” or “what you are doing is so wonderful”. I believe that I am following God’s plan for my life. I believe where He is leading me truly is amazing and wonderful and I feel blessed for that, but I am an ordinary person. There is nothing amazing or wonderful about me in particular. I am trusting Him on this journey. I am trusting God because I know that things are going to be hard at times. I am relying on His strength. I am trusting His plan. My enthusiasm is based “in God”. I hope that when people hear me talk they know who the glory goes to. It does not go to Dan or I. It goes to a God that would speak so clearly to both our hearts and bless us with children that are truly amazing, wonderful, happy little souls. To be able to walk with them on their journey is a blessing.
But I still have thoughts of what about when I stand before my Lord. What will He say? Well done good and faithful servant? What about you? When you stand before Him and He shows you your life. When He says, “Was this car worth more than a child’s life?” When He asks, “Was eating out worth more than the help you could have given?” When He says “Where did you volunteer? What did you value with your time? Where were your priorities?” What will you say? These are questions that keep going through my head. I have failed so many times. I have not had my eyes on where they should be. For right now, I have chosen to turn my life completely over to him. I stand before you a mother who has decided it isn’t about things. I have sold my bedroom furniture to make room for little beds all in a row. I have removed furniture out of my sunroom. The main room going into my house. Have I mentioned I like things in order? Have I mentioned that I used to feel my worth was tied up in how my house looked? This is a big thing for a girl that likes control. It is now the messiest playroom you have ever seen on most days. But now when I see the mess, I choose to see the joy that was there. The children have to pick it up, I’m not saying that. It just isn’t always in order.
I know I am still a work in progress. I know I am so far from perfect and I wish it hadn’t taken me this long to figure this much out. I am absolutely positive that more things will be made clear to me as time goes on, but what I do know is the things we think are most important really aren’t. I couldn’t tell you what the bills were that I couldn’t pay years ago, that I cried tears over. They are paid now and things all worked out. I couldn’t tell you the things I wished I could have bought and wasn’t able to. I couldn’t even tell you the car troubles I once had and worried over. I can tell you that right now I can say with utmost certainty, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I would trade all that I have to get my children here from China. Things are things. They will come and they will go but they are not what should have worth in your life.
I am content. I am happy. I am loved by a God that is bigger than any of my worries. For that reason, I want my light to shine. I want that light to shine on adoption. I want others to see that they can help the widow and the orphan. What is God saying to you? Where is your light shining? Don’t be afraid to let it shine for you too are a child of God and were born to manifest that light. Sing with me now….This little light of mine…. 🙂
-
Standing by….
Warning! This video has graphic scenes at the very beginning from the Holocaust. I’m commenting on this NOT from a political view but from a view that atrocities are happening all over the world and we do nothing.
watch?v=EH_Izul6J5M&feature=youtu.be
I watched this video and it made me seriously consider what I would have done. I know I’ve talked about this before but God keeps placing these things in my path and making me really, truly search my heart. It’s easy to believe that you would do everything in your power to help because it’s hypothetical. I was not alive during the Holocaust. It’s easy to say I would have helped. No one can test me on my statement. But how often do we see horrible things happening and because it is on a screen we turn it off and move on. We read about atrocities and fold the newspaper and walk away. We see something on the computer and we may pass it on but then we’re done. We may talk about it to others but we do nothing. It’s over there. There’s nothing we can do. Is that the truth though? Is there nothing we can do?
The worst part about this video is the statement that when the trains rolled by they sang louder in the church to drown out the cries for help. Christians singing louder. It’s unbelievable. They knew when the train would roll by. They knew what was going on, but they did NOTHING! How many people do you have to have to make a difference? How many people need to come together to make a change? Can one person make a difference?
What train are you seeing? What is pulling at your heart yet you let things of this world drown it out? 21,000 children die every day from preventable causes. Mothers and children walk miles every day for water. Babies are dying in orphanages. Children with small defects are left in orphanages without a family of their own, slowly losing hope. What is your cause? What will you stand for? What will be the measure of your life? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Please take a moment and consider all that you have been given. Consider what you want your life to say. Consider being a hero in someone’s life. Take a stand. Make a difference. I’m using a sign I saw for pet adoption and tweaking it for children.
If you aren’t called to adopt, foster a child for a season or two.
If you can’t foster, sponsor a child for surgery, school, or their basic necessities.
If you can’t sponsor a child on a monthly basis, donate what you are able.
If you can’t donate, volunteer your time for a worthy organization.
If you can’t volunteer your time, then use your networks to spread the word.
Make a difference in the life of a child.
Be the change you want to see in the world. – Ghandi
-
Top 10 interesting questions I’ve been asked since I’ve adopted.
I was unsure how to title this. Top 10 dumb questions….. Top 10 irritating questions….. Top 10 questions that drive me crazy…. Top 10 questions that made me want to say “did you really just say that?”…… Not quite sure what the title should be so I will just title it the obvious…. Top 10 interesting questions I’ve been asked since I’ve adopted.
#10 – Do you think it’s fair to your other children to bring more disabled children into your family?
Well, do you think it’s fair that your children are being raised by someone so narrow minded? Do you believe my children will somehow catch the disability? Or is it just because you think my children will somehow be lacking in material things or time because I adopted disabled children? Are you just concerned about my time management skills? Are you worried about our insurance premiums? What exactly is your problem with the children, who I’ve chosen to adopt, being disabled and would you say the same if I was adopting 6 healthy children?
#9 – Don’t you want to do something with your life?
I know they mean “don’t I want a job?” or “don’t I want to go back to school?”, but I believe I am doing something with my life. I’m following God’s plan for my life and loving every minute of it (well, most of them anyway). I believe I make a difference in all of my children’s lives. If you read Proverbs 31, you don’t read about a wife who is subservient and accomplishes nothing. You read about a wife who is respected and praised by her husband and children. She not only runs the household, she runs the business dealings of their family. I am very confident in who I am and what I want out of life. I love children and my dream when I was younger was to have 12 children. I thought that dream was long gone but God has shown me differently. I will admit that these questions bothered me when I was younger, but as I’ve aged I have come to the realization that I can do anything I set my mind to. I have nothing to prove to anyone, including myself. I am happy and feel blessed beyond measure. Plus, when I was growing up I wanted to be a nurse and/or a teacher. I may not have the degrees to show it but I have gotten to be both a teacher and a nurse to those that I love the most.
#8 – You really think God is telling you to do this?
Well, yes I do! I have had it happen quite a few times in my life. I have known something with such certainty that I would bet my life on it. I know these are my children. I know God has led them to me. It’s not like I have accepted every child I have seen. I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of hurting children. We’ve turned down children that were presented to us. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Saying no is never easy. Do I want to find those children families, of course I do, but I have always known when I was supposed to proceed with the paperwork and when I was supposed to say no. I have cried just seeing a child’s face. There is a difference between crying because you hear a sad story and stopping in your tracks, losing your breath, being brought to your knees, and knowing beyond a doubt that child is yours.
#7 – Why would you go to China?
This one is simple, because that is where God put my babies. I had to go get them. It wouldn’t make sense to go get my Asian babies in Uganda. 🙂
#6 – Do you have something against white kids?
This one just floored me. You are seriously going to ask me that? I have adopted domestically (Hope, who is Caucasian) so the answer would be no. I personally gave birth to a few too. What kind of question is that? Do you have something against Asian children? As a Christian I find that insulting because we are all children of God. We are all adopted into God’s family.
#5 – Well, if you didn’t adopt them, wouldn’t someone else do it?
Do you know this for sure? What about all the children that age out of the foster care system and the orphanage system? What happens to these children from China who are considered bad luck, have a last name that means orphan, as they are put on the street without much of an education, if any? Over the past 20 years the number one agency in Chinese adoptions (CCAI) has placed 10,000 children. That is an amazing number, but there are 800 orphanages in China alone. Between 1971 & 2001 there were approximately 250,000 children adopted internationally in the U.S. I can’t find a figure that shows more recent numbers, but I think that it goes without saying that there are way more orphans than there are people willing to step up and take them.
#4 – Why would you spend money on a child that you know is going to die?
Wow! Really? Did you just ask that? Why have a child at all? Do you have a guarantee or a warranty that came with your child? I had a perfectly healthy 7 year old who ended up with lupus and kidney disease. There are no guarantees. I believe that Benjamin deserves to be loved and to not die alone. I also know that if you spent even a few moments with him you would believe it too. He is a sweet, sweet soul and he deserves to be loved and given every chance at a wonderful life, no matter how long that life is.
#3 – Don’t you think you have enough children?
Can one really have enough children or too many children? It’s sort of like chips and oreos. You can’t stop at just one. Ha! Just kidding. Truly though I think it is a person by person call. I know what my limits are and I believe firmly in letting every child know how much they are loved. I believe in one on one time with each child. I also know that being loved by a huge family is better than being left alone in an orphanage where the ratio of care is often 20-30 children to 1 nanny. My other children are not suffering from our adopting, they are loving it.
#2 – Aren’t you are too old to be adopting!?!?
That comment ranks right up there with asking someone if they know they are fat. Don’t you think I know that I’m older? Do you think I haven’t give careful consideration to the fact that I might not be around to care for them as they grow older? It is the one thing that made me seriously consider not doing what I knew was right. I believe that a child who is truly loved, for any amount of time, is better than a child being left in a orphanage. Plus, these aren’t my first children. My older children are on board. We have prepared as best we can for any circumstance that arises. I am healthy and more than able to care for these little ones.
#1 – Don’t you know you can’t save all of them?
Obviously, I can’t adopt every orphan nor have I been called by God to adopt every orphan. I am, however, listening very closely to what He is telling me and adopting the ones I am personally called to adopt. I know that I can not adopt them all, but I can spread the word about adoption. I can say, without a doubt, that there are a hundred ways you can help without personally adopting (if that isn’t your calling). But the truth is that the number of orphans is estimated to be between 147 million and 163 million. The number of Christians in the world is estimated to be over 2 billion. I am pretty sure that we, as Christians who have been called to care for the widow and the orphan, could probably take care of the orphan problem all by ourselves. What an amazing testimony to the rest of the world that would be! What would it say to those who don’t believe if suddenly no child was hurting, starving, made to be a slave, or alone? What would it say indeed!
-
Life isn’t fair – now what?
There have been many things that have happened to people we know in the past couple of months – babies and toddlers dying, babies being diagnosed with things no parent wants to hear, cancer diagnosis, heart bypass, problems with teenagers – life altering issues to say the least.
I spent some time thinking about this because I was talking to my mom about things I wished I had known when Kyle died and Codey had all of his complications. The one thing I wish I had at the beginning was complete faith in God’s plan. It took me some time to take it all in and just accept that God had a plan. I finally let go of my hurt when I realized God is perfect, God’s plan is perfect, God does not make mistakes, and even though I will not fully understand it on this side of my life, I still believed those facts to be true. If I believed those facts to be true, I had to accept it and deal with it – not complain about it, not question it or why it happened to me. I had to accept it and make the best of what my life would now be.
There are many books that talk about this being a fallen world. Does God allow bad things to happen? Does God set these things in motion? Does free will come into play? Do bad things happen because of man’s free will and then God works them for good? You can question why it happens. You can question whether it is punishment. You can spend your life dwelling on all these things and you will still not have an answer or you can turn it over to God. The choice is yours. Every day that choice is yours.
Dan had a great aunt that used to ask the question “why not me?”. That was eye opening for me. When I stopped to ask myself “why not me?” instead of believing that I somehow deserved to not have pain in my life, then I could turn it all over to God and ask Him what I should do with it. What should I do with this pain? What are you trying to teach me? What am I supposed to learn? It was pretty arrogant of me to believe that I somehow deserved this blessed life I got to live. I don’t deserve anything.
I believe with all my heart that Codey did nothing to deserve this. I, on the other hand, know how imperfect I am and prayed that nothing I did brought this into our lives. I know I have sinned. I know I have done wrong. I had confessed my sins and claimed God’s promises of forgiveness, but still I wondered, did I do this? When I found the verse, John 9:1-3, it brought tears to my eyes and a new understanding to what God was expecting from me. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
I firmly believe this. Your life and how you live it is your best testimony. It doesn’t mean you don’t have bad days. It doesn’t mean you are never afraid or worried. What it does mean though is that people are watching. If you profess your love for God but doubt His plan and are angry at Him for His plan, what does that say? If you let bitterness take over your life, what are you saying? Do you believe you deserve to have the perfect life? Do you believe bad things shouldn’t happen to you? Do you have those Christian thoughts that say “I go to church. I tithe. I signed up for the perfect Christian life.” If you do, now is the time to go back and truly read the Bible. Look at what happened to those who truly loved and followed God. Many became martyrs. Many had horrible, horrible things happen to them. Just like with Job, you have the choice to praise God or curse Him. Every day the choice is yours. Every day you have the choice to see only the horrible or to start to see all the beautiful miracles that are all around you.
I know many people look at Codey’s life and see nothing but pain and all the things he isn’t able to do BUT when I look at Codey I see a miracle! Codey was supposed to be in a vegetative state – blind and deaf. He was trached for the first 4 years of his life. He came home from the hospital on a ventilator. Codey has been through so much and his pain has been more than I could bear to watch on many occasions. Life hasn’t been easy with Codey. It has been so different than anything I had ever planned on. If you had asked me at the age of 22, if this was the life I wanted, if you had presented me with all this information, and asked me to choose this path, the answer would have been a resounding “NO!” But 25 years later, I would do it all again. I would choose my life. My faith in God is so much stronger. I take nothing for granted. I worry less and love so much more. I try to let those around me know that they matter and that I love them. I try not to let the little things take over my life. I praise God in every way that I can. I thank God many times throughout my day for this wonderful, blessed life that I am able to live. I have lived with a little and I have had a lot. What I know to be the truth is that things don’t matter – people matter! I would give all I own to get my other children here right now or to spend another day with Kyle.
In life we have choices, every single day. When presented with things in life that take away everything we once held dear, we have the choice to trust God or to rage against God. I once heard Rick Warren say, “That grief is a part of life, but you can’t let a season of grief turn into a lifestyle of grief.” You have to deal with grief whenever a dream of yours dies. You have to give yourself time to process it all, but you can’t allow yourself to get stuck there.
Life is unfair! Life is a BIG test! But the choice is yours. Will you claim God’s promises? Will you dive into His word? Will you praise Him even when it hurts or will you let this take over your life?
Remember to hold those you love close. Don’t let little things make you complain. You are here for a reason. What is God asking of you? Who’s life will you influence for good or bad? It is your choice. If you are at one of those crossroads, I pray that God’s peace surrounds you and that His love sustains you. I pray that you are able to truly grasp just how much He truly loves you. He is not punishing you. He is using you to show His glory. Allow yourself to let that glory show. You are stronger than you believe. Just give yourself some time. I believe you will one day look back in amazement at just how strong you were and just how much God blessed your life with the test He set before you. All things work together for good, NOT all things will be good. Remember that and let Him work all things together for good for you.
-
Why are you here?
The very important question…why are you on this earth? What is God’s plan for you? Are you here to just acquire as many toys as you can? Are you here to just safely live until you die? Or are you here to make a difference? I want you to make a difference. I want you to find the passion that God has placed in your heart and make a change in this world. Because the truth of the matter is you can make a difference – one child, one person at a time.
I have been told many times that “You can’t save them all!”. I’m going to start here because it is probably the statement that drives me the craziest. I know I can’t save them all. There are at least 147 million orphans, 27 million children being used in the sex trafficking trade, 7.6 million children will die this year from mostly preventable diseases. People are starving all over the world. People are drinking dirty water. People are dying in needless wars. There are so many people needing help that it just seems insurmountable….unfixable.
So what does that mean in regard to the rest of us? James 1:27 commands us to care for the orphan and the widow. Matthew 25:40 tells us that whatever we do to the least of these we do to God. There are many verses telling us to help our fellow man, to use caring words, to do as Jesus would do. But we aren’t doing that? Why aren’t we as Christians doing more? Why do we just show up on Sunday and give our percentage and think that is enough? Why do we live safe little lives? I believe God is expecting more from us. I believe we would do more if we understood the need. If it became more than just a figure to us, we would do something. If there was a face attached to that story, it would make a difference. How many times have we just changed the channel when we became uncomfortable with a story being told? Flipped the t.v. off because a commercial made us feel like maybe we should do more? When there is a name attached to that story, your heart hurts. These are not just faces of some unknown children. God knows every one of these children. What if one of them was yours?
I know a little girl who weighed 6 pounds at 6 months. I know a family, the Hills, that had decided to take in “the least of these” and try to save them. Their mission statement is “To comfort always, to relieve often, and to save sometimes.” Words that break my heart – to save sometimes. Do you have a mission statement? If not, why not? What do you want your life to say? What do you want to accomplish that has eternal ramifications? Because the Hills had a mission statement, they took in this little girl who was starving to death. Because they followed the leadings of God’s tugging at their heart, I have a beautiful 2 year old who brings so much joy to my life. They saw beyond what the orphanage saw, a sick little girl who wouldn’t make it and wasn’t worth the effort. Instead the Hills saw a fighter, a little girl with big brown eyes, who deserved a chance at life.
Organizations like the Hills are the organizations I want to bring light to. Not everyone is called to adopt, but Love Without Boundaries and the New Hope Foundation have ways for you to sponsor orphans. You can spend $35 a month a help pay for foster care, surgeries, schooling, there are so many ways to help. I talk about organizations like those two and World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse because I have a personal connection to them. The truth is there are many organizations doing wonderful things all over the world – in Uganda, in Europe, in Ethiopia, in China, the list goes on and on. You can choose whatever your heart leads you to – new wells, schools, supplies, educations, hospitals, the list goes on and on. We as a family quit buying gifts for grandparents at the holidays instead we purchase some gift through World Vision or Samaritan’s Purse sending goats or chickens, or wheelchairs to needy people in 3rd world countries. The grandparents love it and the kids love choosing a gift that has such great meaning.
I believe Christians would help if they could see a tangible way to help. Who wouldn’t give up ordering out pizza once a month to save a child’s life. When you stand before God, your judge, what will your life say? The truth is you are saved by grace. God’s perfect grace and Christ’s dying on the cross are the only ways to heaven. Nothing you can do will get you into heaven, but God asks more from you than to just exist. Truly He is asking more. Are you listening? Have you felt that tug at your heart? Can you hear His gentle whispering to help your fellow man? It can be as simple as taking a meal to a widow in your church, staying with a single mother’s children for an hour or so, mowing someone’s lawn. You just have to open your eyes to the needs around you and open your heart to the stirrings from God.
We, as Christians, have taken our eyes off of what really matters. We’ve turned our eyes to graven images – the new car, the bigger house, the better schools, the bigger job. Our eyes should not be on things of this world. When you step out of your comfort zone and trust what God is saying to you, amazing things happen. I know this for a fact. The moments when I stepped beyond my fears and took a big leap of faith were when God brought me to my biggest blessings.
Psalm 119:37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
As I’ve said before, atrocities all around the world are happening right now, this very moment. We are the richest group of Christians to ever be alive. We have more at our disposal then we could ever possibly use.
Max Lucado asked in his book Outlive Your Life Had you been in Germany in WWII, would you have taken a stand against Hitler? Had you lived in the South during the civil rights conflict, would you have taken a stand against racism? Those questions are easy to answer yes to. They are hypothetical.
Yes, we would like to think we would have done something, but it is just as likely you would have been afraid to get involved. Afraid that somehow it would hurt your family or that your family would have to do without. When your grandchildren ask you what you did in a time when children were suffering, millions upon millions of children were dying from preventable diseases, children were starving and drinking dirty water, children were being traded as sex slaves or working in the mines in Guinea, and children were dying in orphanages. When they say, “What did you do? How did you help? You had so much. Why didn’t you share?” What will you be able to say? What lessons will you leave for your children and grandchildren? These are questions that God will one day ask you too. How will you answer? Hope is fading all around the world for so many. So many children think there is no way out. So many hurting souls think that there is no one who cares, nothing that will change their situation. We are called by God to be that hope. What better way to prove the love of Christ? Won’t you consider being someone’s hope?
-
Godcindences
I wrote to a friend of mine that I met on our trip to China. The Wong family have adopted many times from China and I really loved their family dynamic. This family had gone back to get a little girl that had been like a big sister to the little girl that they had recently adopted. Blythe was a sweet girl and it really gave me hope regarding adopting Lauren. I wrote to the mom telling her of the adventure God was calling us to. She wrote back and told me that she knew a large homeschool family that had recently been approved to bring 3 children home at the same time. What are the odds of that? CCAI just told me that a couple of weeks ago China had approved one family and we could pray and try to do the same. And my friend actually knew the family. She sent me the other family’s e-mail address and their blog. On their blog was the following verse and poem. I loved them both and had to share them. (The other good news? The are older than 50 and still adopting which means I don’t have to quit just because I turn 50. Just wait until Dan hears the good news!)
Isaiah 43:5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I WOULD GATHER CHILDREN
Some would gather money
Along the path of life
Some would gather roses,
And rest from strife.
But I would gather children
From among the thorns of sin,
I would seek a golden curl,
And a freckled, toothless grin.For money cannot enter
In the land of endless day,
And roses that are gathered
Soon will wilt along the way.But oh, the laughing children,
As I cross the sunset sea,
And the gates swing wide to heaven,
I can take them in with me!
~ Author Unknown~ -
Undaunted!
That is how I want to live my life….UNDAUNTED! I watched Christine Caine talk this weekend at Women of Faith and was so moved. I want a little of that. I want people to see my passion for what I believe in. I want people to be encouraged in their lives and by being encouraged in their own lives start to help others. I want them to see how much they really truly have to be grateful for (Ann Voskamp covered that one). We have so much in this country. We are so blessed even if all we have is a little.
For years my mom, daughter and mother-in-law have joked about me getting up on the Women of Faith stage and speaking and I laughed. What would I have to talk about? My life to me is just that….my life. It’s not exciting or news worthy….it’s just my life. I realize it is not the journey that most people end up on. Although, everyone has a story. It’s just that we spend our lives talking about the trivial, afraid to really share our pain or what is going on in our lives. I know it took me quite a while to talk about my life story. I wouldn’t talk about Hope’s adoption because people would comment that “You are a saint!”. I hated that. I’m not a saint, far from it. Who wouldn’t take in an abandoned baby and give her a chance? Ok to be fair many people have told me that they would not have signed up to take a baby home to die, which is where we started. I get that but if you had asked me years ago if I would have done that, I would have declared NO too! But Kyle’s death (the worst day of my life) gave me the strength to proceed. I had been through it once and I knew with God’s help I could go through it again. No baby should die alone and without a name.
You never know what you are capable of doing until you are presented with it. I finally got to the place where I trusted God’s plan so much I quit looking at what it really looked like. I realized that if I didn’t share Hope’s story, then God wasn’t getting the glory that He deserved. Hope’s story is a beautiful story of trust and faith, which is what Hope means and why we named her that. We went into it knowing that her life had weight (a point Angie Smith made clear this weekend) whether she lived a day or 20 years. Her life mattered. We proceeded with the surgery, filled with fear of the unknown, but trusting God’s will to be done. Now she is 13 years old and a beautiful, sweet, artistic, girl. I don’t know what her future holds. The reality is none of us know what our future holds. We like to think when we get pregnant all will go well, but the truth is women still die in childbirth. We like to think our children will stay healthy and live to be at least 80, but the truth is many will die from accidents, cancer, etc. I think we have to proceed with life forgetting the bad that can happen or we would be so overcome by fear of the unknown that we wouldn’t be able to proceed. We’d curl up in a ball and hope that nothing could touch us.
This years Women of Faith weekend was specially designed for me. I have been filled with fear about talking to churches about adoption. I want to spread the word. I want people to understand they can do something to help children. There are so many ways and different organizations that help. I want to spread the word about Love Without Boundaries and the story of New Hope Foundation (the people who saved my little Maisey). The work these organizations are doing is amazing. There are so many good organizations out there doing all they can for children. I want to shout the information from the rooftops so that all can hear and be motivated to do something. I think Christians want to help. I’ve seen people come together to help others over and over again. I think they just need to know how to help. They need to see it and feel it. They need to know they can make a difference. I believe the problem remains hidden to them and if they heard it, they would respond. They just need the information.
What will your life say when you stand before the judge? When it’s all said and done what will you be able to say that you did for the least of these? Matthew 25:40 I love Francis Chan’s video – it says it better than I ever could.
-
How will you be remembered?
Max Lucado asked in his book “Outlive Your Life”
“Had you been in Germany in WWII, would you have taken a stand against Hitler?”
“Had you lived in the South during the civil rights conflict, would you have taken a stand against racism?”He says those 2 questions are fairly easily answered because they are both hypothetical and of course you’d like to think you would have done something. I agree with that. It’s easy to say I would have hidden the Jews, but when your own family’s lives were on the line what would you have done?
Max also says, “We are the wealthiest group of Christians ever. When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day when 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response?”
Hard questions. There are so many areas that you can help. So many people are hurting. We have the ability to feed the poor, house the orphan, help the widow. Why aren’t we as Christians standing up to do just that? There are 147 million orphans. We have 236 million Christians in the U.S. alone. Why are there so many orphans? Why are children dying from preventable diseases? Why are children starving? We, as Christians, should be able to help. When you stand before Christ and He asks what did you do? What will you be able to say?
Years ago I wrote these words and they stand on my refrigerator as a constant reminder of what I want my life to mean.
What Do I Want to Accomplish?
“What do I want to accomplish?” is a question I have often asked.
What do I want them to whisper about me, years after I have passed?
I want them to mention my faith and how every year it grew.
I want them to mention the words, loving, caring, honest and true.I don’t want sins to rule my heart and mind any longer.
I know though I am weak, my God is most definitely stronger.
I want to turn my life over completely, why do I resist it so?
I believe strongly in God’s plan….so why can’t I just let go?We are here on this earth to apply His word to every situation.
To pass the tests He places before us and avoid temptation.
To work on the log in our eye and not the sliver in our brothers.
To worship our Lord with praise, putting Him above all others.To help the downtrodden and poor with the gifts given to us at birth.
To stand above and not be consumed by the things of this earth.
Father, I ask for your help, please give me wisdom and grace,
So I can hear “well done, faithful servant” when I first see your face.– Lisa Ellsbury
-
A good reminder…
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
― Mother Teresa
Archives
Blogroll
Links
- Chinese Children Adoption International
- Hats for Gracie
- Love Without Boundaries
- New Hope Foundation China
- Show Hope
Categories
- Adoption
- Adoption Questions
- Benjamin
- Cassie
- China 2013
- China 2014
- China 2016
- Codey
- Congenital Heart Defect
- Elijah
- Elyse
- Evangeline Faith
- Faith
- Family Life
- Food for Thought Friday
- Grace
- Homeschooling
- Hope
- Jasmine (Shuang Shuang)
- Jasmine's Blog
- Jasmine's Dream
- Jessica
- Kelly
- kidney transplant
- Kyle
- Lainey Rae
- Love Without Boundaries
- Maisey
- Making a difference
- Max
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Orphan Care
- Photos
- Thoughts to ponder
- Uncategorized
- Videos
- William
- Zachary