More Sweet Kisses

Thanksgiving...so much to be thankful for. My list could go on and on, but the week of Thanksgiving brought a lot of sweet kisses this year.

Sweet kisses...unexpected blessings from God. He sends them probably every day, but we don't always see them. This week I feel like I saw them more clearly. They came in the form of...
-a sweet note from one of my children's birth relatives
-a hug from my three year old nephew...just because
-friendship...wow, too many to name here...some are lifelong friends, some are new friends, some are co-workers, some are former co-workers, but all of them are just precious and I am incredibly blessed
my kids making a big deal out of my birthday, even when I don't think it's that big of a deal!
-family...some by blood, some by marriage...all of them are lots of fun and all of them give me great blog material which you will probably never read...just because some things stay in the family
-and Thanksgiving morning, my birthday, I got the sweetest and most encouraging note from one of my children's birth moms. I wish I could share it, but it's private and precious. I read it early Thanksgiving morning on my phone and it brought tears to my eyes. Tears because she gave me a most precious gift, her sweet and precious child and only by God's design plan and the power of His love could I receive such an encouraging note from her a decade later.

But our God is an amazing God who showers us with sweet kisses all the time. Sometimes we miss them, sometimes we see them clearly. When we see clearly, then we see just a glimpse of our most precious Savior. The same Jesus that died on the cross for my sins is interceding on my behalf and He's asking our Heavenly Father to shower me with blessings...with sweet kisses. What an incredible and amazing God. I hope you don't miss Him today and that you feel a sweet kiss straight from the hands of our Lord.

A Bleeding Heart

I cried my way through a book called "It's Not Okay With Me" by Janine Maxwell. On the back of the book it says, "This book is not for the faint of heart." and it's really not. I cried through the book and then cried at night and then cried on the way to work. And if you know me well, you know that I'm not always a cry baby. But the evil in this world...the evil that is done to children, wow...it ripped at my heart. My heart bleeds and may never be the same, but that is okay with me. I've prayed for God to give me His heart. I think He gave me just a tiny glimpse and it hurts. How deeply grieved our Heavenly Father must be as He looks at the evil in this world.

Why would I read a book that is so heart wrenching and gives details about the atrocities done to children? Because it reminds me that as Christians we need to do something. Instead of getting distracted by the cares of this world that have no eternal value, we need to bring hope to the hopeless. We need to bring Christ to those who have never heard. We need to be the mother and father to these children that tragically lost their parents because of AIDS or malaria or starvation.

I don't know what that looks like in your life or mine. I'm not about to tell you what it looks like. I'm on a journey (I guess my family is on a journey) and I don't know the final destination. I know part of it is going as often as possible. Part of it is working for an organization that sends teams to be the hands and feet of Jesus (Check us out--Visiting Orphans) Part of it is paying for Yasen to go to school in Ethiopia. Part of it is paying for Sandra to have proper care at an orphanage in Nicaragua. Part of it is giving to great organizations that provide mosquito nets and water and food to those desperately in need. Part of it is praying. Praying for those we sponsor and praying for those that I don't even know who are just about to lose hope. Praying for the girls that are being abused today. Praying for the little ones that are watching their mother die. Praying for the girl that is willing to sell herself just so she has some food to eat today. Lord, I beg you to intervene on their behalf. How selfish my prayers have been focusing on myself and things that really don't matter in comparison to these tragedies.

And so, I've decided after reading this book that it's not okay with me. The evil in this world makes me angry. I have a holy frustration...a frustration that I can't forget, that I won't forget and that is determined to do something...for one child, for two, for three...whatever it takes...whatever that looks like in my life.

Janine talks about how we can become overwhelmed by the numbers, but giving one hope is enough if that's what God is calling you to do. "If it's not enough, then do more. If you can't do more, then stop making yourself crazy."

And I stand in agreement with Janine that this would be my message to those in Africa "It's not okay with me anymore that your children are dying in front of you from hunger, and that you are naked and that your husband died of AIDS. It is just not okay with me! And I am going to do something about it."

What about you?

Seeking Approval

So it's been an interesting couple of weeks around our house. I have been listening to a sermon series on family. I quickly realized that I still have much to learn when it comes to parenting and probably life in general for that matter.

One of the messages was entitled "blessing" and it references John Trent's and Gary Smalley's book called The Blessing. It talks about how everyone desires "the blessing" from their parents and others. I stink at "giving blessing". Words of affirmation...not my love language in the least. And so God gave me at least one child possibly two, that crave "words of affirmation". Isn't that just like God to make my life a little difficult? To give me children who don't think like me and don't receive love in the same way that I do. I can buy you some gifts like you wouldn't believe. I can serve up some acts of service...if you need words of affirmation...I'm terrible...in both written and verbal form, I flat out don't have that gift.

Deep down, I have a people pleaser mentality. Most people probably do. I want my kids to like me and my friends to like me and just people in general to like me. But sometimes God calls us to do difficult things which might in fact make people not like me. My children would probably like to hit the dislike button at least once a day. Parenting is tough. It's not for the faint of heart...especially if your kids are 10, 9 and 8 and very opinionated. God had me camping out on this verse the other morning.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
I tried to push it out of my mind, but He just kept putting it in there over and over again until I submitted and agreed that I am a servant of Christ and that means that I shouldn't seek the approval of men.

And then the test came....I went to the kids' school on Thursday for their Thanksgiving lunch. Elizabeth was so excited to have me there. Matthew was excited to have me there. Stephen not so much. He gave me a little wave as he was getting in line for lunch. He picked up his lunch and then disappeared. I didn't know where he had gone. I had saved him a seat to sit by Matthew and me. He was nowhere in the cafeteria to be found. He was gone. I debated...do I go find him or do I just leave it alone? I really thought that no matter what decision I made, it'd be the wrong one. He's probably complain about whatever I decided to do. I asked my friends Jerry and Leigh..what do you think? Jerry gave me some wise words, he said, "You let it ride. Right now he doesn't care that you're here, but in 20 years, he'll remember that you were" And so I left it alone and Stephen didn't say anything about it when he got in the van that day. I asked him why he didn't sit by me and he told me that he wanted to sit with his friends. I could've given the lecture about how he gets to sit with his friends every day and that I took time out of my day to come and have lunch with him. Didn't he know that I had other things I could be doing....blah, blah, blah. But I didn't, I just said okay. My feelings were hurt ... just a tiny bit. I have some pretty thick skin, but it was a reminder of two things

1. I shouldn't be seeking the approval of man (my kids)
2. Stephen is growing up....ugh, that one is hard to write.

I love him just as much even though he didn't want to have Thanksgiving lunch with me.

Orphans, Disney and Dentists

I went to the dentist yesterday and had to have two fillings replaced. Fun times! I haven't had any dental work done since I was probably 10 or 11 years old. I am so thankful for a great dentist. He was gentle and kind and while he was numbing my mouth, he started talking about Disney. If you know me well, you know that I love to talk some Disney. Turns out we'll actually be there at the same time this year, but he told me about some yummy foods that I have obviously been missing when I go to Disney. I will be trying them this year!

And while he was working in my mouth and there was absolutely no way for me to talk, he starts talking about Sunday being Orphan Sunday and how his pastor taught on orphans and adoption and so on and so on. He tells me that he's thought about adoption more than he ever had after that sermon and how the church needs to rise up and take some ownership of all the orphans (143 million) in the world. I read a statistic that if only 7% of Christians would adopt, there wouldn't be any orphans left in the world. Obviously, some orphans aren't available for adoption...I understand that, but the statistic is still staggering. Doing something does make a difference!

The craziest thing though was being in that chair and not being able to say anything. I was about to come out of my skin because obviously I have lots of thoughts on orphans, adoption and missions. And I thought as I left that so many times, the enemy has us in that exact position where we remain silent--whether by choice or because of fear or because of circumstance.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9

Orphan Sunday -- Can You Help?

To whom much is given, much is required. It's not original with me, but I use it all the time because I think Americans are incredibly blessed and that we'll be held accountable for what we do or don't do with our money. What can you give up this month to provide basic supplies for these children in need. Could you give up a meal out, a new pair of shoes, a new camera (this is what I want!). Read the post below and pray about what you can give to buy towels, clothes and necessities for some of the sweetest and most precious children on earth.

Repost from Sumer:

I still so clearly remember standing in the trash dump on January 7th of this year. I remember the smells, the noises, the exact spot where I stood, and the names of all the people standing around me. I remember God so clearly saying, “This is it, this is where I would be if I still walked the Earth, and this is where I want you to be.”

And then later as I walked into my room, and saw the outline of her sunglasses on Angela’s ash covered face, I remembered the prophetic words of Isaiah…“Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”

I had two boys in mind to begin the journey, a beautiful young girl had captured the heart of my friend Tabby, and another guy on our trip was partial to an older boy. And so it began, we were going to move 4 kids out of the trash dump. I don’t know how it happened, I have no good explanation other than divine intervention, but word started to spread and we started to get people committing to sponsor other children.

My initial hope was for 100 kids. But for a long time that seemed like an unattainable goal.

And when we got in a new set of profiles that almost doubled our initial list I started to worry, but thankfully the plan was not dependent on me…God had a plan and I was just along for the ride.

And as you all know, 9 months after my first trip to the trash dump on Ethiopian Christmas day, we moved 250 kids to a boarding school in the beautiful countryside.

We have had some growing pains, and faced a steep learning curve. About running a ministry, and dealing with the local culture. A major bump in the road was when the school informed us two weeks before school started that the cost of yearly tuition had increased by over $100. Now initially that took the cost of tuition alone up over the amount of the sponsorship, and I again started to get very worried.

Thankfully, we serve the One who calms the storm with a word, and the very next week the value of the local currency changed in favor of the dollar and we were back to the original amount! Not good for the local economy, but good for us.

And we have learned that one or two outfits is not nearly enough. Their clothes are constantly dirty and wearing out quickly. They do wear their uniforms to school, but only during school hours, and then they wear their personal clothes. The children all need more clothes.

Nonetheless, along with the blessing of 250 kids, comes the strain of the getting them their necessary supplies. Our teams have paid thousands of dollars in excess baggage to take over clothes, shoes, and school supplies. We will continue to pack shoes over because the quality of shoes in America is so much better, and we are so grateful for the donations of shoes that we receive from Soles for Jesus.

We have decided that it is best to buy their other necessities such as clothing, toiletries, and school supplies in their local community. Usually the items are cheaper, it supports the local economy, it saves us money in baggage fees, and it opens space for sponsors to keep sending fun packages and letters and for teams to bring over other necessary items such as medical supplies.

Therefore, we are asking for monetary donations to purchase more clothing, toiletries, and school items for the children. We are hoping to get every child another pair of pants or a skirt, and two more t-shirts. They each also need a towel, and we will continue to buy body soap, laundry soap, notebooks, and pencils for the children every two months.

All donations will go 100% to the needs of the sponsored children at the boarding school, and all donations are tax-deductible. Please mail donations to:

Project 61 PO Box 126 Thompson Station, TN 37179

Or if you are a member of my home church, you can make out your check to Project 61 and place it in the offering on Sunday morning.