but I know that my Redeemer lives & His name is Jesus!
In a College classroom with a professor teaching a philosophy lesson....... 'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.
'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely.. '
'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'
'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'
'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'
The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for
a moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'
'Yes sir, I would.'
'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'
'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.' The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?' The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er..yes,' the student says.
'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes' '
So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'
Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'
The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'
'So who created them?'
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his
question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ,son?'
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'
The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir.. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not.'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ,or God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. '
Professor, is there such thing as heat?'
' Yes.
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat,unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below
zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero(-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom,sounding like a hammer.
'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'
'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the
meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'
'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'
'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'
'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'
'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester,indeed.
'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.
'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other
student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student
looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter.
'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'
Now the room is silent.. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'
'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists
with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'
Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man.. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'
To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like
darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'
The professor sat down.
PS: The student was Albert Einstein
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
In the pit of despair...
"O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day.
I come to you at night.
Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry.
For my life is full of troubles, & death draws near.
I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left.
They have left me among the dead, & I lie like a corpse in a grave.
I am forgotten, cut off from your care.
You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths.
Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.
You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them.
I am in a trap with no way to escape.
My eyes are blinded by my tears.
Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy.
Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead?
Do the dead rise up & praise you?
Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love?
Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds?
Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?
O Lord, I cry out to you.
I will keep on pleading day by day.
O Lord, why do you reject me?
Why do you turn your face from me?
I have been sick & close to death since my youth.
I stand helpless & desperate before your terrors.
Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.
Your terrors have paralyzed me.
They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.
They have engulfed me completely.
You have taken away my companions & loved ones.
Darkness is my closest friend."
Psalm 88 NLT
I have read this psalm many times because I read the book of Psalms a lot but this psalm always surprises me. It's one of the few psalms that offers no hope. It's just gut wrenching pouring out to the Lord with no hope or answers. The following is what my Life Application Study Bible footnotes say about Psalm 88.
88:1 Have you ever felt as though you have hit bottom? The writer is so low that he even despairs of life itself. Although everything is bad & getting worse, he is able to tell it all to God. This is one of the few psalms that gives no answer or expression of hope. Do not think that you must always be cheerful & positive. Grief & depression take time to heal. No matter how low we feel, we can always take our problems to God & express our anguish to him.
88:5 Our feelings may be as obvious & painful as those expressed by the psalm writer, but they are never the complete picture. In fact, our feelings are usually very unstable. When we bring our unedited feelings to God, we allow him to point out where they are incomplete. We are in trouble whenever we give our feelings divine authority or assume that God can't handle what we feel. Praying the psalms teaches us to bring God everything about us & trains us to experience his presence even when our feelings tell us otherwise.
88:13-14 The writer of this psalm was close to death, perhaps debilitated by disease, & forsaken by friends. But he could still pray. Perhaps you are not so afflicted, but you know someone who is. Consider being a prayer companion for that person. This psalm can be a prayer you can lift to God on his or her behalf.
I have really have to take small bites of this & chew on it because 1) sometimes for whatever reasons, I find it easier to wallow in my grief or depression than to cry out to God & let him show me what's really important & 2) it's painful to read this psalm let alone admit that I have had similar thoughts myself.
The last sentence of the footnotes is "strange" to me. I can't see myself lifting this psalm up as a prayer on someone's behalf because to do so is to share in just the pain...and not the hope...the hope we ultimately can only find in Jesus Christ. As we approach Easter, let us look for ways to share the hope of Jesus to a hurting, grieving, & depressed world.
I come to you at night.
Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry.
For my life is full of troubles, & death draws near.
I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left.
They have left me among the dead, & I lie like a corpse in a grave.
I am forgotten, cut off from your care.
You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths.
Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.
You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them.
I am in a trap with no way to escape.
My eyes are blinded by my tears.
Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy.
Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead?
Do the dead rise up & praise you?
Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love?
Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds?
Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness?
O Lord, I cry out to you.
I will keep on pleading day by day.
O Lord, why do you reject me?
Why do you turn your face from me?
I have been sick & close to death since my youth.
I stand helpless & desperate before your terrors.
Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me.
Your terrors have paralyzed me.
They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long.
They have engulfed me completely.
You have taken away my companions & loved ones.
Darkness is my closest friend."
Psalm 88 NLT
I have read this psalm many times because I read the book of Psalms a lot but this psalm always surprises me. It's one of the few psalms that offers no hope. It's just gut wrenching pouring out to the Lord with no hope or answers. The following is what my Life Application Study Bible footnotes say about Psalm 88.
88:1 Have you ever felt as though you have hit bottom? The writer is so low that he even despairs of life itself. Although everything is bad & getting worse, he is able to tell it all to God. This is one of the few psalms that gives no answer or expression of hope. Do not think that you must always be cheerful & positive. Grief & depression take time to heal. No matter how low we feel, we can always take our problems to God & express our anguish to him.
88:5 Our feelings may be as obvious & painful as those expressed by the psalm writer, but they are never the complete picture. In fact, our feelings are usually very unstable. When we bring our unedited feelings to God, we allow him to point out where they are incomplete. We are in trouble whenever we give our feelings divine authority or assume that God can't handle what we feel. Praying the psalms teaches us to bring God everything about us & trains us to experience his presence even when our feelings tell us otherwise.
88:13-14 The writer of this psalm was close to death, perhaps debilitated by disease, & forsaken by friends. But he could still pray. Perhaps you are not so afflicted, but you know someone who is. Consider being a prayer companion for that person. This psalm can be a prayer you can lift to God on his or her behalf.
I have really have to take small bites of this & chew on it because 1) sometimes for whatever reasons, I find it easier to wallow in my grief or depression than to cry out to God & let him show me what's really important & 2) it's painful to read this psalm let alone admit that I have had similar thoughts myself.
The last sentence of the footnotes is "strange" to me. I can't see myself lifting this psalm up as a prayer on someone's behalf because to do so is to share in just the pain...and not the hope...the hope we ultimately can only find in Jesus Christ. As we approach Easter, let us look for ways to share the hope of Jesus to a hurting, grieving, & depressed world.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Bringing back the peace...
that left our home exactly ten months ago today. Ten months ago our three Haitian children came home. It is a day that I will never forget...barring that I still have my memory :o) It was day that we waited a very long time for. It wasn't the "sunshine & fairy dust" day that some families have when their children come home but we weren't expecting that any way. We had no idea how our special needs Shakira would react to coming home. She actually bounced off the plane & was extremely happy. Caleb however, was very sick when he got off the plane so what should have been a very "upbeat" moment for me, was put aside as I went into nurse/mom mode to make him feel better.
Most of you who have been reading my blog since the children came home, have a pretty good picture of what life's been like for us since then. I don't tend to "sugar coat" things & pretty much say it like it is. Overall, the first six months were pretty painful for all of us...kind of like growing pains that don't let up for six months. We started to get into a "groove" in the seven & eighth months but seemed to be "grooving" in a three steps forward, two steps backward pattern. The last couple of months have been the best so far but it just "hit" me yesterday...that something is missing...and that missing puzzle piece...is PEACE.
Our home has not really been peaceful since they came home. You can understand that in the beginning when everything is so new & different & each person is learning how to adjust to this new life on their own terms. I woke up this morning thinking, "Okay, today makes ten months, it's time for things to be different...to be peaceful."
Yesterday was not a good day for 5 of the 6 of us & everyone woke up this morning wondering what kind of day it would be. After Randy left for work, I gave a "speech." I just "laid it all out there"...talking to all of us...but to the "Creole Trio" in particular...that they have been home for ten months now & it's time for them to start taking responsiblity for making our house a peaceful place again. Yes, I know that I was talking to a soon to be 3 year old & a special needs child, but you know what, they understand a lot more than we think they do, & it was proven by an immediate change of attitude & even a "sense" of peace flooding our house. Thank you Jesus!
So my encouragement to the "older" adoptive parents that have had their children home for awhile & are still struggling...is hang in there...keep praying...& ask God to show you how to bring peace back into your home. Do not let yourselves get caught up in a "competetion & comparison" of the children that came home after the earthquake & seem to be "sailing along" compared to our children when they came home. You need to look at the "whole picture." This time last year, Jack & Marcia became the Orphanage house managers. That was a huge blessing! For the first time, the children were living in the presence of a Godly, loving, happy couple. They began to see what parents look like on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, my children only experienced two months of that. The ones that came home in Jan. had ten months of that.
They also had six months of home schooling. After seeing the delays of my children & other children that had come home before mine, I was pretty convinced that six months of homeschooling wouldn't even make a "dent" in the significant delays...but boy was I ever wrong! I am amazed...as well as extremely thankful that those children got the incredible schooling they recieved under Abby's instruction! It would have been wonderful for my children & the others to have gotten it as well but they didn't so we work with what we have. God will bless us & our children for our determination & perserverance....we just have to keep on keeping on :o)
Praying that you have a peace filled day!
Most of you who have been reading my blog since the children came home, have a pretty good picture of what life's been like for us since then. I don't tend to "sugar coat" things & pretty much say it like it is. Overall, the first six months were pretty painful for all of us...kind of like growing pains that don't let up for six months. We started to get into a "groove" in the seven & eighth months but seemed to be "grooving" in a three steps forward, two steps backward pattern. The last couple of months have been the best so far but it just "hit" me yesterday...that something is missing...and that missing puzzle piece...is PEACE.
Our home has not really been peaceful since they came home. You can understand that in the beginning when everything is so new & different & each person is learning how to adjust to this new life on their own terms. I woke up this morning thinking, "Okay, today makes ten months, it's time for things to be different...to be peaceful."
Yesterday was not a good day for 5 of the 6 of us & everyone woke up this morning wondering what kind of day it would be. After Randy left for work, I gave a "speech." I just "laid it all out there"...talking to all of us...but to the "Creole Trio" in particular...that they have been home for ten months now & it's time for them to start taking responsiblity for making our house a peaceful place again. Yes, I know that I was talking to a soon to be 3 year old & a special needs child, but you know what, they understand a lot more than we think they do, & it was proven by an immediate change of attitude & even a "sense" of peace flooding our house. Thank you Jesus!
So my encouragement to the "older" adoptive parents that have had their children home for awhile & are still struggling...is hang in there...keep praying...& ask God to show you how to bring peace back into your home. Do not let yourselves get caught up in a "competetion & comparison" of the children that came home after the earthquake & seem to be "sailing along" compared to our children when they came home. You need to look at the "whole picture." This time last year, Jack & Marcia became the Orphanage house managers. That was a huge blessing! For the first time, the children were living in the presence of a Godly, loving, happy couple. They began to see what parents look like on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, my children only experienced two months of that. The ones that came home in Jan. had ten months of that.
They also had six months of home schooling. After seeing the delays of my children & other children that had come home before mine, I was pretty convinced that six months of homeschooling wouldn't even make a "dent" in the significant delays...but boy was I ever wrong! I am amazed...as well as extremely thankful that those children got the incredible schooling they recieved under Abby's instruction! It would have been wonderful for my children & the others to have gotten it as well but they didn't so we work with what we have. God will bless us & our children for our determination & perserverance....we just have to keep on keeping on :o)
Praying that you have a peace filled day!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Getting back to normal...
whatever "normal" is. Ever feel like you've been under water way too long & when you finally come up for a breath of air...after all of the coughing, sputtering, & carrying on...it's like the most wonderful experience you have ever had? Well, that's where I am right now in my life. I still can't put a lot of things into words yet but for the first time in a long time, I have a renewed hope in my heart & a spring in my step...minus the limping from the gimp foot :o) We have our good days & bad days but overall the kids are doing really well. I think Phoebe is already ready for summer & I have to remind her she still has a ways to go & needs to keep focused on school. Her first grade music program was last Thursday & she did very well. She's been busy the past week delivering Girl Scout Cookies. She is getting ready to test for another belt level in TKD in a couple of weeks. Although she really enjoys Upward cheerleading, I think she is ready to be able to sleep in on Saturdays. She has two more Saturdays of getting up at the same time she does for school during the week.
Samara keeps the rest of us grounded :o) She enjoys preschool but is looking forward to going to kindergarten in the fall. She is also excited about starting TKD in May. We wanted to make sure that Phoebe & her had a couple of belt levels between them to help decrease the "sibling competition" that they have going on between the two of them. Samara for the most part is very thoughtful & you can hear her almost daily praying for Haiti. She is patiently waiting to hear about the status of her birthmother & younger sister.
Overall Shakira is doing well. We have all learned that we can't get caught up in her day to day moods or it will drive us crazy :o) She is attempting to communicate more so we are teaching her more signs because a lot of her words come out sounding like "gee gee" & most people can't understand what she's saying. Right now she is doing very good with her potty training...mostly only needing a pull up at night & staying dry during the day. Praise God! :o)
Caleb...is two...that should explain everything! :o) In between his little "fits" he really is a cuddly, loveable little boy. He is wanting to "help" us around the house. He really enjoys going to Kid's Day Out twice a week. He wears "big boy underwear" during the day & a diaper at night. Randy continues to do well at his job. Most days I wonder how well I'm doing at mine :o) We are looking forward to spring break & one or two summer trips. We thank God for his endless love, patience, grace, & mercy as he continues to grow us into the people he has created us to be.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Everything & Nothing to say...
Some of you may think that my silence on my blog is due to my new found interest in Facebook but that is not true. Since the earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12th I've had at least a gazillion thoughts running through my head. Sometimes my head would hurt from it. Sometimes I have felt like my heart was going to break into pieces. Sometimes I have felt like I was going throw up.
So I have been dealing with all of that plus the "drama" that has been going on in my family. I don't want to detail it here but it has been difficult. Then just when I thought I was coming up for air...I find out that a lady that I was just getting to know was in a terrible accident & is paralyzed. This shook me to the core for many reasons but I guess the main reason was pure selfishness as I keep thinking to myself, "That could have been me." Her & I have so much in common. We are both stay at home moms with 4 children. We're about the same age & we're both married to wonderful men named Randy.
So while I wrestle with all of my thoughts & feelings, I am not able to find the words to express them right now. I find comfort in God's Word & am letting His Word do the talking.
"O God, you are my God: I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched & weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary & gazed upon your power & glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely."
Psalm 63:1-8
So I have been dealing with all of that plus the "drama" that has been going on in my family. I don't want to detail it here but it has been difficult. Then just when I thought I was coming up for air...I find out that a lady that I was just getting to know was in a terrible accident & is paralyzed. This shook me to the core for many reasons but I guess the main reason was pure selfishness as I keep thinking to myself, "That could have been me." Her & I have so much in common. We are both stay at home moms with 4 children. We're about the same age & we're both married to wonderful men named Randy.
So while I wrestle with all of my thoughts & feelings, I am not able to find the words to express them right now. I find comfort in God's Word & am letting His Word do the talking.
"O God, you are my God: I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched & weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in your sanctuary & gazed upon your power & glory.
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely."
Psalm 63:1-8
Friday, January 22, 2010
Praying for a Country to be Healed...
"You Said" sung by Rita Springer has been one of my favorite songs for a long time. This song has been going round & round in my head as I have been fervently praying for Haiti since the Earthquake. At first I couldn't find a video that sounded good, nor pictures that came close to anything that spoke about Haiti in any shape or form until I came across this one. It was made in Spring 2007...right before my first trip to Haiti in July 2007. We need to keep praying for a "healed Haiti."
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
What a Mighty God We Serve!!!
A week ago today Haiti was shaken by the 7.0 earthquake. In a moment's time...everything there changed. Thousands dead, thousands injured, thousands homeless, the tradegy went on & on...and unfortunately continues to go on. The adoptive parents in the process of bringing their children home were in a tail spin. Many thoughts raced through their minds. Is my child(ren) alive? After it was found out they were alive then it turned to are they safe? Do they have enough food & water? What happened to the paperwork? How long is it going to take now to bring them home?
Some of these parents have been waiting over 3 years to bring their children home. The thought of countless more delays...especially in this crisis...could get the best of anyone. But God had a plan...a big plan! A plan that none of us even thought of. He took what was meant for bad & turned it into good for the children & adoptive parents of Three Angel's.
Last night the 26 children landed on US soil. Some of them were reunited with their parents shortly thereafter while others will be reunited with them today. Our area eagerly awaits the arrival of 7 of the 26 children. We can not wait!!! We will finally have our "circle of 19 3A's children" complete! Praise God from who all blessings flow!
Some of these parents have been waiting over 3 years to bring their children home. The thought of countless more delays...especially in this crisis...could get the best of anyone. But God had a plan...a big plan! A plan that none of us even thought of. He took what was meant for bad & turned it into good for the children & adoptive parents of Three Angel's.
Last night the 26 children landed on US soil. Some of them were reunited with their parents shortly thereafter while others will be reunited with them today. Our area eagerly awaits the arrival of 7 of the 26 children. We can not wait!!! We will finally have our "circle of 19 3A's children" complete! Praise God from who all blessings flow!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Haiti...
We want to thank all of you for your prayers & support this week since the catastrophic earthquake happened in Haiti on Tuesday. It means more than you will ever know. We are thankful beyond words that our Haitian children are home with us. However, we have very heavy hearts as we have many friends in Haiti as well as adoptive children that are waiting to come to our area & we are still waiting to hear about some people we know & have not been heard from or seen since the quake.
I'm sure many of you have seen the very graphic images of what's going on in Haiti right now. We can not stress that even those images don't fully capture the severity of tragedy or need. It's beyond most people's comprehension. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti & those of us who are so intricately intertwined with them. Please pray that our friends & all people nationwide that are in the process of adopting from Haiti will be allowed to bring their children home ASAP.
Some of you have asked how you can help monetarily. We know that the Red Cross is offering all kinds of innovative ways to donate. We think that's great but we also want to give you some other options. These are Haiti organizations that we have personal ties to. There are as follows:
Three Angels Children's Relief www.threeangelshaiti.org This is the orphanage that our 3 Haitian children came from. There is currently 7 children from this orphanage waiting to come to our area.
BOSKO www.boskohaiti.org This is an organization that was started by some very dear friends of mine who live near us & have adopted two children from Three Angels.
Heartline Ministries www.heartlineministries.org This ministry has been serving Haiti for quite some time & currently has a wonderful couple named the Livesays who live in Haiti & direct the ministry efforts.
Thank you!
I'm sure many of you have seen the very graphic images of what's going on in Haiti right now. We can not stress that even those images don't fully capture the severity of tragedy or need. It's beyond most people's comprehension. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti & those of us who are so intricately intertwined with them. Please pray that our friends & all people nationwide that are in the process of adopting from Haiti will be allowed to bring their children home ASAP.
Some of you have asked how you can help monetarily. We know that the Red Cross is offering all kinds of innovative ways to donate. We think that's great but we also want to give you some other options. These are Haiti organizations that we have personal ties to. There are as follows:
Three Angels Children's Relief www.threeangelshaiti.org This is the orphanage that our 3 Haitian children came from. There is currently 7 children from this orphanage waiting to come to our area.
BOSKO www.boskohaiti.org This is an organization that was started by some very dear friends of mine who live near us & have adopted two children from Three Angels.
Heartline Ministries www.heartlineministries.org This ministry has been serving Haiti for quite some time & currently has a wonderful couple named the Livesays who live in Haiti & direct the ministry efforts.
Thank you!
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Battle Within...
Grab a comfy chair & something to drink &/or eat because I have a feeling this is going to be a long one as I pour out my heart in regards to something I have been really struggling with lately.
For those of you who have or are currently going through the adoption process & have a child(ren) at home you know all too well the struggle that exists between having your heart in two different places, not fully being able to enjoy the moment due to having that nagging ache in your heart.
Although the situation I now face is different, the struggle is quite similar. When God called Randy & I to adopt Shakira, we knew it would not be a piece of cake. We knew that adopting a special needs child would be different & more challenging than adopting a child without special needs. It was not our choice to adopt her. It was God's will & we chose to obey him. I wish I could say that in by obeying God he would have waved his hand & having Shakira in our family is a piece of cake...but that's not the case.
We love her dearly but the day to day challenges that she brings can be very frustrating & tiresome. We also know that we are blessed with how well she has progressed since she has come home & that it could be a lot worse...and that indeed, there are a lot of families out there that are experiencing "a lot worse." But that still doesn't change the day to day life here with her.
We moved her into her own room a week ago because she is very loud in the morning & kept waking up Phoebe & Samara. She can also be very destructive & tears up a lot of toys or whatever maybe lying around. It didn't seem fair to Phoebe & Samara that their things were getting destroyed because of Shakira "choosing"...and yes, she does have a choice...she has the cognitive ability to make good & bad choices. So now Phoebe & Samara can leave things out in their room the way they want them without fear of Shakira tearing them up.
We took her glasses away from her & put them up for now because a couple weeks before Christmas she got mad that she was in time out so she took her glasses off & snapped them in two. We got the frames replaced & not even 12 hours after she got them back, she was trying to tear the arm off of one side. This was after over 6 months of wearing them without incident.
Her potty training is going much better. She remains dry most of the time during the day & only wears a pull up at night. That is a huge victory! We should be really happy about that...which we are...but we're also tired of telling her every step: "pull down your pants, go, stand up & wipe with TP, put the TP in the toliet, flush the toliet, pull up your pants, wash your hands." This may seem very trivial to some, but if you had to do this several times a day, every day, & not just with the bathroom but with everything...getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating, playing, etc., it gets very tiresome.
So last week I was really struggling with all of this. I was tired...no, exhausted. And in addition to that, we found out last week that there is a very high possibilty that Shakira is 2-4 years older than the paper work says she is. Although that doesn't surprise me because I've been "sensing" that for awhile, it hit me like a brick because that means she's even more delayed than we thought she was. This week we will be getting a bone growth x ray on her to help determine how old she really is. Although we will keep her age at what the paperwork says, it's important that we know her "real" age for health & development reasons.
I want to thank everyone who prayed for me last week because it really helped! I could feel them working. I was given a new perspective as my attitude changed & my spirits lifted. I was reading Matthew 16 & came to verse 25, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." I know that's a familiar verse but this time it had new meaning to me. I was trying to hang onto the life that I wanted. The one that I had envisioned. Forgetting that it's not about me...but God & His will for my life...not my will.
The footnote in my Life Application Study Bible says this about the verse: "If we protect ourselves from the pain God calls us to suffer, we begin to die spiritually & emotionally. Our lives turn inward, & we lose our intended purpose. When we give our life in service to Christ, however, we discover the real purpose of living."
Yes, it is His will that Shakira is a part of our family...reasons that are still not clear to us...but it doesn't matter what the reasons are. We are called to serve Him no matter what. So as we go through the day to day "what", we are striving to serve Him faithfully & joyfully.
For those of you who have or are currently going through the adoption process & have a child(ren) at home you know all too well the struggle that exists between having your heart in two different places, not fully being able to enjoy the moment due to having that nagging ache in your heart.
Although the situation I now face is different, the struggle is quite similar. When God called Randy & I to adopt Shakira, we knew it would not be a piece of cake. We knew that adopting a special needs child would be different & more challenging than adopting a child without special needs. It was not our choice to adopt her. It was God's will & we chose to obey him. I wish I could say that in by obeying God he would have waved his hand & having Shakira in our family is a piece of cake...but that's not the case.
We love her dearly but the day to day challenges that she brings can be very frustrating & tiresome. We also know that we are blessed with how well she has progressed since she has come home & that it could be a lot worse...and that indeed, there are a lot of families out there that are experiencing "a lot worse." But that still doesn't change the day to day life here with her.
We moved her into her own room a week ago because she is very loud in the morning & kept waking up Phoebe & Samara. She can also be very destructive & tears up a lot of toys or whatever maybe lying around. It didn't seem fair to Phoebe & Samara that their things were getting destroyed because of Shakira "choosing"...and yes, she does have a choice...she has the cognitive ability to make good & bad choices. So now Phoebe & Samara can leave things out in their room the way they want them without fear of Shakira tearing them up.
We took her glasses away from her & put them up for now because a couple weeks before Christmas she got mad that she was in time out so she took her glasses off & snapped them in two. We got the frames replaced & not even 12 hours after she got them back, she was trying to tear the arm off of one side. This was after over 6 months of wearing them without incident.
Her potty training is going much better. She remains dry most of the time during the day & only wears a pull up at night. That is a huge victory! We should be really happy about that...which we are...but we're also tired of telling her every step: "pull down your pants, go, stand up & wipe with TP, put the TP in the toliet, flush the toliet, pull up your pants, wash your hands." This may seem very trivial to some, but if you had to do this several times a day, every day, & not just with the bathroom but with everything...getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating, playing, etc., it gets very tiresome.
So last week I was really struggling with all of this. I was tired...no, exhausted. And in addition to that, we found out last week that there is a very high possibilty that Shakira is 2-4 years older than the paper work says she is. Although that doesn't surprise me because I've been "sensing" that for awhile, it hit me like a brick because that means she's even more delayed than we thought she was. This week we will be getting a bone growth x ray on her to help determine how old she really is. Although we will keep her age at what the paperwork says, it's important that we know her "real" age for health & development reasons.
I want to thank everyone who prayed for me last week because it really helped! I could feel them working. I was given a new perspective as my attitude changed & my spirits lifted. I was reading Matthew 16 & came to verse 25, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." I know that's a familiar verse but this time it had new meaning to me. I was trying to hang onto the life that I wanted. The one that I had envisioned. Forgetting that it's not about me...but God & His will for my life...not my will.
The footnote in my Life Application Study Bible says this about the verse: "If we protect ourselves from the pain God calls us to suffer, we begin to die spiritually & emotionally. Our lives turn inward, & we lose our intended purpose. When we give our life in service to Christ, however, we discover the real purpose of living."
Yes, it is His will that Shakira is a part of our family...reasons that are still not clear to us...but it doesn't matter what the reasons are. We are called to serve Him no matter what. So as we go through the day to day "what", we are striving to serve Him faithfully & joyfully.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year Resolution...
Turning Point Devotion by Dr. David Jeremiah
"A New Resolution"
Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Psalm 39:4
Recommended Reading: Proverbs 2:1-6
According to the USA.gov ("Government Made Easy") website, the dozen most popular New Year's Resolutions are: lose weight, manage debt, save more, change jobs, get in shape, go back to school, drink less, stop smoking, reduce stress in general, reduce stress at work, travel, and volunteer. Any of those look familiar? Since they're the "most popular," they probably do.
Here's a different approach for 2010: Instead of focusing on what's wrong with yourself or your circumstances, resolve this year to focus on God. Instead of making resolutions, resolve to do one main thing: Make your life the subject of gentle conversation between you and God on a daily basis. That doesn't mean in the sense of, "God, I want . . . I need . . . I wish." Rather, "God, I want to reflect Your glory in my life more in 2010 than in 2009. I want to live today in light of the end of my life. Speak to me and empower me to be conformed, gently but surely, more into the image of Christ this year."
That's a prayer God will answer by replacing the weakness of our resolve with the strength of His; a resolution that will not fail.
"If our lives and ministry are to count for anything today we must solemnly resolve to make time for God." Vance Havner
Happy New Year! Praying for God's love & peace to reveal itself to you in a new & refreshing way this year.
"A New Resolution"
Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Psalm 39:4
Recommended Reading: Proverbs 2:1-6
According to the USA.gov ("Government Made Easy") website, the dozen most popular New Year's Resolutions are: lose weight, manage debt, save more, change jobs, get in shape, go back to school, drink less, stop smoking, reduce stress in general, reduce stress at work, travel, and volunteer. Any of those look familiar? Since they're the "most popular," they probably do.
Here's a different approach for 2010: Instead of focusing on what's wrong with yourself or your circumstances, resolve this year to focus on God. Instead of making resolutions, resolve to do one main thing: Make your life the subject of gentle conversation between you and God on a daily basis. That doesn't mean in the sense of, "God, I want . . . I need . . . I wish." Rather, "God, I want to reflect Your glory in my life more in 2010 than in 2009. I want to live today in light of the end of my life. Speak to me and empower me to be conformed, gently but surely, more into the image of Christ this year."
That's a prayer God will answer by replacing the weakness of our resolve with the strength of His; a resolution that will not fail.
"If our lives and ministry are to count for anything today we must solemnly resolve to make time for God." Vance Havner
Happy New Year! Praying for God's love & peace to reveal itself to you in a new & refreshing way this year.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A lot of "food"...
I was reading Psalm 37 this morning & wanted to share some things from it. It's a long psalm so I am not going to type it all out now but I would encourage you to read the entire psalm sometime. It has a lot in it.
"Do not worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord & do good.
Then you will live safely in the land & prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, & he will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him & he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
& the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
& wait patiently for him to act.
Do not worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper-it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land."
Psalm 37:1-9
"It is better to be godly & have little than to be evil & rich."
verse 16
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand." verses 23-24
"Turn from evil & do good, & you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice, & he will never abandon the godly." verses 27-28
"The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
They have made God's law their own, so they will never slip from his path." verses 30-31
"Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed." verse 34
"The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them, & they find shelter in him." verses 39-40
"Do not worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord & do good.
Then you will live safely in the land & prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, & he will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him & he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
& the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
& wait patiently for him to act.
Do not worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper-it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land."
Psalm 37:1-9
"It is better to be godly & have little than to be evil & rich."
verse 16
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand." verses 23-24
"Turn from evil & do good, & you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice, & he will never abandon the godly." verses 27-28
"The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
They have made God's law their own, so they will never slip from his path." verses 30-31
"Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed." verse 34
"The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them, & they find shelter in him." verses 39-40
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
How much longer???
I pray that everyone had a very blessed & joy filled Christmas. I will be posting a Christmas in review post soon but I just had to share this first. I think this devotion from Dr. David Jeremiah will speak to a lot of you. I know it spoke to me as I wait for the miracle in Shakira to be manifested & as I reflect on the waiting for children to come home that has come full circle.
How Long?
And coming in that instant [Anna] gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Luke 2:38
Recommended Reading
Psalm 52:8-9
After several hours of packing, the family is finally on the road. After driving for no more than ten minutes, the littlest voice from the back seat asks the inevitable: "Are we almost there?"
That's what the games, snacks, and music are for, right? Long trips aren't easy for little people, so they have to learn patience. And Christians have a long trip to complete as well: the trip to our heavenly home. Sometimes the road seems long and bumpy, but we need to stay focused on the destination. That's what characterized the life of the prophetess, Anna, who had spent eighty-four years of her life in the temple praying and worshipping. The day she saw the baby Jesus she knew the trip of a lifetime was complete. Her focus on the promises of God was consummated by the appearance of the promised One.
If you are wondering "How long?" before God brings you through--be faithful and focused on the One who came and will come again.
How Long?
And coming in that instant [Anna] gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Luke 2:38
Recommended Reading
Psalm 52:8-9
After several hours of packing, the family is finally on the road. After driving for no more than ten minutes, the littlest voice from the back seat asks the inevitable: "Are we almost there?"
That's what the games, snacks, and music are for, right? Long trips aren't easy for little people, so they have to learn patience. And Christians have a long trip to complete as well: the trip to our heavenly home. Sometimes the road seems long and bumpy, but we need to stay focused on the destination. That's what characterized the life of the prophetess, Anna, who had spent eighty-four years of her life in the temple praying and worshipping. The day she saw the baby Jesus she knew the trip of a lifetime was complete. Her focus on the promises of God was consummated by the appearance of the promised One.
If you are wondering "How long?" before God brings you through--be faithful and focused on the One who came and will come again.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Children's Christmas Program...
The Children's Christmas program at our church was Sunday evening. Phoebe was so excited because this year she got to play the part of Mary. Shakira was an angel & Samara & Caleb were lambs. I was afraid that Shakira would just stand there the whole time holding her neck because that's what she tends to do & what she had been doing during all the practices. I should have never prayed for her not to do that during the program! Because what she did instead was to take someone's oversized green purse, throw it on her shoulder, go skipping down the aisle & up to the altar, she then started clapping, hip shaking, & swinging the purse around. I have a hard time imagining the angel that appeared on Christmas doing that! And of course that distracted everyone else & Joseph & Mary had to work very hard to stop giggling. Other than that...it went very well.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Stocking joy!
Randy & I hung up the stockings over the weekend. When Shakira, Samara, & Caleb saw them for the first time they thought they were very pretty but didn't "get" what they were for. The next day there was something in each of the stockings. I told them, "Jesus was here", & with that Phoebe took off running to the stockings while the other 3 just sat there. I said, "You may want to go with her," so they did & when they saw her pulling something out of her stocking, they immediately went to theirs & looked inside of it. They were so excited! These pictures are of them playing with their stocking gifts.
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