Compassion Art

Have you read this book???


it's by the artists

that contributed in writing

and performing songs for this CD...

The goal in mind... "Creating Freedom from Poverty"...

ALL of the proceeds go to fighting poverty... ALL... seriously, check it out...

It's inspiring... challenging... real...

Check out the website... www.compassionart.tv

"Rise Up People!... Rise Up Church!"...

Waiting

it's hard to do.... we ALL wait for something...

We wait...

for adoption paperwork to be done and children to be brought home...

for "prodigal" children to return to the Lord...

for marriages of friends and loved ones to be repaired...

We wait...

for children to be healed of sickness...

for surgeries to be successful...

for job opportunities and pay raises...

Waiting...

Waiting is hard to do... and we get weary...

Thankfully... we have a Savior we can run to...

He's waiting too... for us to come to Him... and rest.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you that although waiting is hard... You are with us.

and while we wait... we will worship You... we will serve You...

we will wait for You, trusting You... with confidence and hope.

Update

Several people have recently asked me how things are going with our adoption...

That question got me thinkin'... I also read blogs and anxiously wait for news... ANY news... of how the process is going... or even if there is NO news... just NEWS... ya know?

so... I thought I would post an "update"... just to let you know where we stand...

We have completed all of our paperwork, including our home study, and sent it to our agency. We have filed our I-600A and had our fingerprints done. We are praying that approval comes QUICKLY from the USCIS.

Now... we are waiting.

Thank you for praying with us as we journey to bring home our children from Uganda!!

Red Envelope Day

Because LIFE is valuable. Because LIFE is precious. Because LIFE matters.

"Regardless of your political position or views of our new president, I believe we all share an innate disdain for abortion and an innate joy of life."

The purpose of this mailing is to send a "quiet, but clear" message to the President that 54% of Americans think that abortion is wrong and should not be legal.

Get a RED envelope.









Address it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20500

On the back, write the following message:

"This envelope represents one child who died because of an abortion. It is empty because the life that was taken is now unable to be a part of our world. Responsibility begins with conception."

Put it in the mail on March 31st. (Corrected Date)

E-mail your family and friends... ANYONE that would take a minute and participate in this effort to send a message...

Together we CAN be heard. Together we CAN make a difference.

Birthday Boy

Happy 12th Birthday Nathaniel!!!

You are an awesome brother...
with a great sense of humor...

and a love for adventure...
You have a great heart...
and you ALWAYS make me smile...
I love you my "Little Man"!! Dad and I are so proud of you!!

Cinderella

Katherine recently performed with Parables Dance Company to "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman for a Father/Daughter Banquet.

Here is the YouTube link (I couldn't get the cute little box to show up!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9sm3FKnQJk

Katherine dances as the "prom" girl! We are so proud of you Kat!! You are a beautiful dancer!

Happy Birthday Victoria!!!

19 Years...
Gone by way too FAST...

My beautiful love...

still Daddy's little girl...

Celebrate life...

We love you, Victoria!!!

Is This Normal???

I am having a HARD time focusing today.

I KNOW I should get up and get the laundry going... I should be making the grocery list and planning this week's dinner menu... I should be planning my son's birthday party... the list is long of the things I SHOULD be doing!!

Instead... I sit here at this computer... looking at pictures from our trip to Uganda... zooming in on EVERY picture of the faces I have come to call my son and daughter...

I sit here and search blogs for adoption stories... hit refresh every ten minutes to see if my "blog" friend (who's girls I have fallen in love with) has a court date yet... I search for adoption information... look up facts about Uganda... visit websites of organizations that help orphans...

I KNOW I should take care of my responsibilities here...

but... my heart feels very far away.... there's a longing in my heart that brings tears to my eyes... it makes it hard to concentrate...

Is this normal? or Am I being lazy? or Am I physcho!?

Well... normal or not... I'm off to get the laundry... even though... my heart is somewhere else...

With Actions and In Truth

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18

I want to encourage you, as I have been encouraged... to love with actions and in truth.

There are some truly amazing things happening that you just have to read about! These are ordinary people that are living out their lives as Scripture tells them to... with actions and in truth!

Go check out Amazima Ministries and read about a young woman that is living her life "sold out" for Jesus as she cares for orphans. Read about how God is working in amazing ways as His faithful daughter, Katie, follows Him and obeys.

Go to Oatsvall Team and support this amazing family in their quest to adopt two more children by buying a really cute t-shirt. Read about how she is touching so many lives for the King as she faithfully serves Him.

Go to Soli De Gloria and read a wonderful story of faith and trust as this precious family witnesses a miracle in their baby boy. Have your faith strengthened as you read about what God is doing in their family as they obey His call.

Go to Project Hopeful and find out more information about the plight of HIV+ children and how God is using a faithful Mom and her family to bring glory to His name. Read the stories of life changing, life saving miracles as the call to action is obeyed and this ministry begins.

Each one of us is called to serve "with actions and in truth"...

As one blog friend put it so well, "I can honestly say that I don't know a single person who cannot afford to give. Some how we get in our minds that God wants us to do something big. True, some people are called to do big things....but most are not. Most of us will be given many opportunities to do small things for our Lord, and He will in turn make much of them, for His kingdom purpose."

I am inspired, encouraged, motivated, challenged, and blessed... by the faithfulness of these families and how God is using them to do great things for His name sake!! To Him be the Glory!!!

Healthy

Who knew such joy could be attached to one little word...

H e a l t h y.

Too often I take for granted the good health God has blessed us with...

H e a l t h y.

Today, I am EXTREMELY thankful for a report (... regarding a particular boy and girl ;) of good health!

"How ungodly am I?"

I have recently started reading "Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate", by Jerry Bridges. The chapter I am on is called "Ungodliness".

Now... when I first skimmed over this chapter... I thought to myself... I'm doing pretty good with this... I think about God all the time... I consistently pray that my life would bring Him glory... I'm teaching my children to love Jesus... I'm doing alright... (a little smug, I think)...

Bridges states, "... all of life is to be lived out in the presence of God with an eye to pleasing Him." A L L of life... so I start evaluating how I am doing with this concept... he asks the questions... how about when I eat? or drive? or shop? or socialize? Am I living ALL of my life "to the glory of God"? ... even when I'm driving?! or grocery shopping?!

He goes on, "For the godly person, God is the center and focal point of his or her life. Every circumstance and every activity of life, whether in the temporal or spiritual realms, is viewed through the lens of this God-centeredness. However, such a God-centeredness can be developed only in the context of an ever-growing intimate relationship with God. No one can genuinely desire to please God or glorify Him apart from such a relationship."

I went back and read this chapter again... but this time I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart regarding any "ungodliness" in my life... Well, let me tell you... if you REALLY want to see yourself... ask the Master to hold the mirror...

Bridges goes on... "we should honestly and humbly ask, how ungodly am I? How much of my life do I live without any regard for God?"

"We are talking about living ALL of life as if God is relevant or irrelevant."

He states, "Our goal in the pursuit of godliness should be to grow more in our conscious awareness that every moment of our lives is lived in the presence of God; that we are responsible to Him and dependent on Him. This goal would include a growing desire to please Him and glorify Him in the most ordinary activities of life."

I realized... I do well with part of this... which means that I have work to do! Praise God, I have a Savior that equips me and through Him I can do all things!

Bridges continues, "Above all, pray that God will make you more conscious of the fact that you live EVERY moment of every day under His all-seeing eye. While you may not be mindful of Him, He is certainly aware of you and sees every deed you do, hears every word you say, and knows every thought you think (see Psalm 139:1-4). Beyond that, He even searches out your motives. Let us then seek to be as mindful of Him as He is of us."

The next chapter is "Anxiety and Frustration"... I'm thinking... I'm thinking I had better let the Holy Spirit work with this one too!