Our little church

We love our little church, Atlanta Westside! Mary Taylor does too. At then end of the service we worship by singing and doing communion each week. During the songs, the parents pick up their kids from the nursery and bring them into the service to sing. My kids love the music! Henry always stands up and dances with his little church buddies...and now that Mary Taylor is old enough she feels the freedom to walk around and greet everyone. This particular Sunday, she decided to go sit on the stairs with another little boy, Owen. She is definitley not afraid of a crowd and she loves being in the center of attention like her big brother. Thanks Anne, for taking this picture with your i-phone. These are the moments I want to remember!

Flutterbugs

I love my new "Africa" shirts I ordered from Julie over at Flutterbugs. She does amazing work! Julie is adopting an African American child domestically through Covenant Care. I do not know Julie personally, but we discovered we knew each other through my sister-in-law Leslie who attends her father's church in Maco, Georgia. What a small world! Julie has an amazing heart and her blog encourages me greatly! What a small world!

$4000.00 and 400 Flip Flops

In my last post I talked about a place in Uganda known as the children's prison. I cannot stop thinking about this place and the suffering that these children are enduring. It is hard to keep living my life knowing that there are children living in these conditions. But, I have good news! J and B in Africa have raised $4000.00 and 400 flip flops for these children in two weeks...just by posting the story on their blog. Praise Jesus! They will go deliver the items soon!

 J and B in Africa said:

Check back in a few weeks to see pictures of our Easter adventure- the food and flip-flop distribution.  I’m admittedly in way over my head on this one but when we nail down our big picture plan, I’ll let you know.  Bottom line:  I think I need to raise a million dollars.  Not kidding.  We’re looking into building a vocational school and orphanage for the kids that we know can be legally removed from the prison.  So if you’d like to donate and haven’t already, here’s the procedure:

DONATING WITH PAYPAL

- Log onto Paypal and click on “Send Money”

-Use the email address ugandachildrensprison@yahoo.com

-Click on “Personal” and designate the money as a gift to avoid buying/selling fees

-Pay with paypal or bank account to avoid transaction fees (credit and debit card payments are fine but you’ll be charged a small percentage to do it)

I want to want the things of the Lord

My sin is so ugly and it creeps up on me without even realizing it. The past several days, I have been frustrated because I cannot buy things to organize my house and make my life easier, much less buy spring clothes, like I deserve to buy... "Everyone else is doing it." I took it out on my husband last night, after he told me how ridiculous I was being. The Lord convicted me and by the end of the night I was asking God what is wrong with me? How can I be so excited about saving money one moment for our adoption and the next minute angry that I can't buy new salad bowls, because all five are chipped in several places. I know that all this "stuff" does not bring true joy, but in the moment, I sure would like to have a new laundry divider, now that I am washing lights in one wash and darks in another (long story). I want, to want the things of the Lord, but often I want the things of the world. The Lord has shown me how ridiculous I really have been by allowing me to read this post, "M". The sufferings of these children are more than I can bear. This puts all my petty frustrations to rest. How could I not want to save my money for one of these children? How can I live the way I do and know that these kids do not have food, water, beds, and a mother or a father. Jesus, change my heart! Oh, come rescue us from this world!

 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:21-25

Halloween.....Easter?

      Since my oldest child Henry (31/2) is not in preschool, I try to "homeschool" him a little bit, but it is really hard to find activities to include Mary Taylor (16 months) without her screaming and messing everything up. I usually just wait until she goes down for her afternoon nap and then we do "school"...when I am feeling it that particular day. Today, I brought the plastic Easter eggs out of the closet and randomly thought to do an Easter egg hunt around the house. Well, considering they were already playing dress up, it became the Chicken/ Monkey Easter Egg Hunt! I hid the eggs while they waited in the other room. They had the best time looking for the eggs and putting them in their Easter buckets. Henry wanted to know where all the treats were... I just told him this was a practice Easter Egg Hunt and the real one was on Saturday in our neighborhood. He was ok with this...sort of. When they finished searching for eggs, we then counted and sorted them by color. This did not last very long, because Mary Taylor kept taking the ones we were counting, but Henry got the idea. After the first hunt, Henry decided he wanted to put his small Play Mobile hats in the plastic Easter eggs so he could have "treasures" when he found them again on the next search. We did this about three more times. It kept them entertained for an hour!

As a former elementary teacher, I want to provide my children with great crafts and lessons, but planning for them takes time and it is hard enough to do the basic things to take care of a family. Buying the materials takes money, so when it's the end of the month...it just doesn't happen.  But, I love it when  I "happen upon" a fun, learning activity, that all can enjoy! So, just thought I would share! I would love to know of activities that your families enjoy, especially with two younger children. Please pass them along!

I don't want my children to be happy

At our wedding ceremony, my uncle Robert married us along with Dee's mentor Tom from college. Robert told us that marriage is not designed to make you Happy it is designed to make you HOLY. Oh, do I understand this now after six and half years of marriage and I will continue to understand this until the day I die. Along the same lines, I read a post four weeks ago that has been circulating through the "blogosphere" titled, "I do not want my children to be happy." When I first read this title, I was like, of course I want our children to be happy, but is that what truly fulfills them to the core? No...our children are "happy" after we buy them a toy at the thrift store, but that happiness fades the next day at Target when Henry tells me this Thomas the Train will REALLY make him "happy." I want my children to know and experience true happiness, which is joy. This joy only comes from Christ and knowing him and enjoying him forever.

I am trying to take more pictures of my kids, so I can somehow catch them "in the moment". Well, I am realizing THESE are the moments, even though they are not what I expect. I brought my camera with me on the way out the door. 

 I caught Henry and Mary Taylor doing what they do best! They love teasing each other! But, I thought this was true and realistic of our life. If I can't get "picture perfect", real life is the alternative!! :)

 Henry decided he did not want to take pictures so he hid. I caught Mary Taylor looking at him with a sweet little face. She adores him, when he is not driving her crazy!

 I tried again outside, but it was a lost cause at this point! Mary Taylor thought it was so funny!

 And I caught him against his will!

There is no me without you

I am halfway finished reading, There Is No Me Without You, which is a must read to learn about Africa, orphans, adoption and the AIDS crisis. The author, Melissa Faye Green, lives here in Atlanta with her husband and her nine children, of which four were adopted. So far this book has been an emotional, heart wrenching, true story account of this women's life. This quote was taken from this website http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com/

 There is No Me Without You (Bloomsbury, 2006) is the story of a middle-class Ethopian widow, who, out of the multiple tragedies in her own life, opens her door to AIDS-orphaned children and is inundated by them, beyond her capacity to care for them all.

Nothing will give you an eternal perspective like the realization of all the pain and suffering in the world. As I have read this book, I find myself praying through the horrible events in these childrens lives and crying out to God knowing he is the only one who can deliver us from all this pain and suffering around the world. It is too much to bear, a burden to heavy to carry. The only true comfort I know is Christ himself, the hope of Glory. Come Jesus Come!

My little Blessings

Henry and Mary Taylor had the best time having a tea party with my sister's old American Girl tea set. They did not seem to mind the doll chairs and table either. I am so glad they are really starting to get along and enjoy eachother as brother and sister. They played for about ten minutes together in the closet and then Henry got bored and went on to the next activity in Kaki's big house. Mary Taylor continued to play with the tea set for another 15 minutes before I packed it up. She could have sat their forever! Having a girl is so different than a boy. It is amazing to watch!

A precious child named Teddy

   About two weeks ago, on Sunday afternoon, we had the privilege of taking care a sweet precious 13 month old baby. Teddy's mother brought him to our house asleep and laid him on our guest bedroom bed with pillows all around him. She said he could sleep anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours, he is really unpredictable. Well, he slept a total of 45 minutes! I left the door open so I would hear him talking when he woke up. His mother said he does not cry... which is really strange in our house. All my children cry the moment they realize they are in their crib alone.
    I heard Teddy grunting...I raced in there hoping he would not roll over and fall off the bed. The moment he saw me, he just stared at me..then my springer spaniel, Milo, came racing in the room and licked him on the face! Immediately he started screaming...he was probably wondering who I was and what is this strange creature making my face wet! I picked him up and brought him into the living room to play on the floor. He sat for the longest time looking around the house, taking it all in. Teddy has the most precious little face and smile that lights up the room.
   After about a minute or so, he decided to look at an Elmo book. Then he started to grunt as he flipped the pages. His mother says that is his "working" voice...it was hard to tell if something was bothering him, but he kept right along grunting and acting really interested in his task. Dee and I just laughed!!
   After Teddy was finished he decided he wanted to crawl or "walk like a bear"...I have never seen a child crawl like that...maybe the floor hurts his knees...but they were both in the air. Very inventive. Then all a sudden, he stood up! I had no idea he could stand on his own, but he has really strong legs. He tried to take a step but fell.
    By now he was getting a little fussy, so we decided to try and feed him. Man...did this child eat! I feed him an entire small container of apple sauce, half a banana, and a whole glass of milk...for a snack. This would be two meals for Mary Taylor...if I could even get her to eat apple sauce and bananas! It was such a joy feeding him...he did not refuse a single bit. I have never had that experience with my children...maybe our adopted child will enjoy eating...Oh, the things I wish for! Only a mom can appreciate this!! 
    He finished eating and I realized his pants were wet, so I decided to change him. Oh, did the "strong willed nature" come out of him now! The whole time I changed his diaper and his clothes he cried and fought me the entire time! Oh...now this is something I am used to...Mary Taylor battles me on everything, especially getting her diaper changed and clothes on...this just made me laugh! His mother mentioned that he was starting to have an opinion.
    By the time we changed his clothes Mary Taylor and Henry were joining in the fun. Teddy was just amazed by them. Two crazy kids running around the room as loud as hyenas. Teddy is a first child, so I am sure he is not used to all the load noises...but he seemed to be O.K. with it...I think? After a while Teddy found another interesting toy, a scrub bush for dishes...don't worry, it was new...the kids use it for their kitchen. He would NOT put it down...he crawled around the room holding it...it was too cute!
    This sweet precious child that the Lord created, has a medical condition, called Trisomy 21, in other words, Down Syndrome. Teddy's parents first realized Teddy had Down Syndrome after he was born. I think they had suspected this might be the case, but the chances were slim to none. Despite the shock of this news, God gave them the grace to embrace this child as a child of God and know that he has amazing plans for him. In the eyes of the world, the news of Teddy would bring heartbreak and despair, but seeing this child through God's eyes is a different story. Knowing his parents both went to Harvard, you would think, Teddy is so blessed to have such great parents, but God has shown them that TEDDY is the BLESSING. God ordained Jeff and Hannah to be parents to Teddy from the beginning of time. What an amazing testimony to his grace. The gospel turns things upside down in an amazing way.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are. I Corinthians 1:27-28

Teddy is a precious little child and is loved by all who are around him. God has a plan for Teddy Heck and I am so blessed to be apart of it.

Fundraisier: Are you adopting, pregnant, or know someone that is?

April and Jim are in the process of adopting from Uganda. They are raising money to bring their sweet girl, Isabel, home through various fundraisers. Donate $5.00 and you can be in the running to win this fabulous baby basket full of things you will need for having a new baby or toddler in your home. This basket would also be a great gift to a friend! All the donations will go directly to bringing home sweet Isabel. Go to their blog, Our Journey to Isabel to learn more about how God is leading them.

This is just an example of what the basket will look like.

Wiphan Care Ministries

 My longtime friend, Andrea, went to Zambia, Africa with her husband for a short term mission trip. Little did they know there was nothing in place to help these widows and orphans. Andrea and Richard came back to Georgia and started raising money through her photography business and through those that came alongside them with hearts for the Zambian people. This birthed Wiphan Care Ministries, a ministry to widows and orphans in Zambia to help provide food, clothes, and school. God has provided greatly and this ministry is blessing so many. If you feel God tugging at your heart to help an orphan in Zambia, go to Wiphan or Babe of my Heart (Andrea's blog) to get involved with this ministry, sponsor a child, or order a t-shirt. Enjoy this slide show about Wiphan.

Takes a Whole Village

 Davis, a friend of mine is selling t-shirts to help support Takes a Whole Village (TAWV), a ministry to children in Tanzania. TAWV was started by Heath Depree, an Atlanta native. Heath is a single girl who is also in the process of adopting a Tanzanian little girl, Neema. I have been following her story for several months now as God has used her faith to help me know my Savior more. The t-shirts are only available until Friday, March 12th at noon. It is an 18.00 investment to help meet a child's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. If you are interested in helping TAVW, go to The Neema Shop.

The Pharisee in Me

Jane, a good friend of mine, from Compelling Grace posted a great post about the problem we all have about being self-righteous.

Dear Lord,
In and of myself I am a disaster and I do not desire you. I make my own laws to try and justify why I am worthy to be your child. Then you show me that your grace is enough. My eyes are opened and I see the cry of the orphan. It is a joy to serve you and a blessing to be called to adopt. I am excited to join in your work and it is a privilege to be used by you! It is not about us oh Lord, but about you!

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Romans 10:2-3

What's going on with our adoption?

Well, we are still waiting on the Ugandan government to work out the legal guardianship issue. The judges have to write the correct wording on the legal documents before the United States will grant visas again. Orphans are only granted legal guardianship in Uganda. An adoption cannot be granted until three years later. In order to get a visa to get out of Uganda and back to the United States with a child, the judge have to write the correct wording. The documents are required to say that the child will be adopted once they arrive in the United States. I have heard through the blog vine that the Ugandan courts should be having the "big meeting" soon to discuss this issue and hopefully resolve it.

I know of one family that was granted a full adoption and a visa to come home a couple of weeks ago, but many families are still in Uganda waiting on the judges to make a decision. As I read many of their blogs, they have such amazing faith that God is in control, but it is easy to let doubt enter their minds. They are missing their families and long to be home. Please pray that these families come home soon! Please pray that God would move mountains in Uganda to rescue these orphans.

Some families that are waiting in Uganda:
The Matts 
Old Fashioned Love
Sister Haiti


As for us, we are still waiting for our homestudy to be written up by our social worker. Hopefully, that will be sent off in the next couple of weeks. Then we have to wait 8-12 weeks to be approved to adopt internationally. Once we are approved by the USCIS (United States Central Immigration Services) we will then be waiting for our referral. A referral is when our agency, Generations, sends us a picture of a Ugandan child with a lot or a little information about the child. Then we can accept or deny the referral depending on what God is calling us to do. Considering what is going on in Uganda, getting our referral could take a while. Even if this get resolved in the next month, there will be a back up from all the people waiting to get a court date. After we get a referral, our attorney will contact us and give us a court date. The court date is usually six weeks after you get your referral, but who knows now that everything is "up in the air." Once we get our court date, we will make flight plans to travel to Uganda to go rescue our child!

To our sweet Ugandan baby: This is what your brother and sister have been doing while they wait for you. Henry has been obsessed with Pirates, sweet ones of course! Mary Taylor has been learning that she is not the center of the universe!

 "Aye-aye matey! If you don't talk like a pirate, walk the plank!!"

"If it is not my idea, don't even try to get me to do it!"

Please continue to pray that we would trust God in his timing! Believe me, it is hard to sit here, knowing we might have a child in Uganda right now, waiting on us!

What is the person and work of Jesus anyway?

   In my last post I talked about the person and work of Jesus in my life. This is just a glimpse of what this really means.
      Sin entered the world with Adam and Eve. This sin was deadly and caused all men to go to hell. God told Adam and Eve he would send a person to rescue them from their sins. God's son, Jesus was the rescuer that was sent here to earth to take on the sin of the world. He was the sacrifice needed to save us from eternal hell. He was crucified, died, buried, and rose again. He was the ultimate sacrifice.

   God works in our life to change us. He reaches down to earth and rescues us from ourselves. He opens our eyes to believe that the gospel is true. We are justified before God, we obtain Jesus' perfect righteousness. God does not see our sin anymore, he sees Jesus! We have just been adopted into the family of God. We are not orphans anymore.

   From the time we are justified to the time we die to go to heaven to be with Jesus forever, is called sanctification. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ. Often, Christians think that God rescued us from sin and because God did this great thing, we now owe him and must DO for him. We have to make ourselves become more like Christ. We can ask him for help, but ultimately it is up to us. Well...I have tried to change myself, and I am no good at it. The bible says that God is the one that sanctifies us.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! Gal. 2:21

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 1 Thess. 5:23-24

    God continues to mold us into his image. He wants us to be image bearers, to reflect Christ. God loves us and he cares deeply for us. Why would he adopt us into his family and then treat us like orphans again. Remember, when he sees us, he sees Jesus!
   This is such great news! God does not call us to do things for him, he calls us to rest in him and trust him. We do not have to feel pressure "to do the right christian thing," God will finish what he started and he loves us too much to keep us where we are. In the process of him working in our lives, he will give us Christ-like desires to spend time with him in his word, he will show us our sin and make us miserable, so we will trust him more. Then he will fill us up with his love and then this love will overflow into every area of our lives. This love will compel us to love "the least of these", the poor, the forgotten, the unlovable, the widow, the orphan...
   Once God starts to work in our lives, we will realize we are at war with the world. Our sinful nature still lives inside us,

 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:15-20

But, don't worry God has already won the battle!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 

   The christian life is tough. We are aliens and strangers longing for a country of our own. We are in the world, but not of the world. How do you live in the world, but not of the world? By abiding in Christ. Trusting that his grace is enough. The person and work of Jesus in your life is all that is needed to live a Christ fulfilled life. Our own efforts leave us tired and exhausted. Go to God with your struggles and he will give you peace and joy in your weaknesses.

 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinth. 12:9

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

   The gospel reality is that God in Christ makes dead men come alive by making them sons and by lavishing his love on them, he causes them to want to do their fathers will. All this is from God.

 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phil. 3:12

Elizabeth Turnage at Living Story wrote about sanctification in a recent post.

My friend Jane at Compelling Grace always has great insight about the gospel that helps me to grow in Christ. This one in particular is a must read about Grace and more Grace...

 

God is the one doing it, not me

   God has changed me and opened my eyes to the need of orphans, widows, the poor, the needy, 'the least of these'. I have done nothing different in my life, but respond to him changing my heart. I did not spend more time with God, I did not read the bible more, I did not go to more Bible studies, God just miraculously changed me.   

   I have seen God work in my life for many years now. I assume he started working the moment of conception, but I did not realize his hand was on my life until I was in high school. It wasn't until college that I knew I needed him more than I needed myself. It was then that I realized the depth of my own sin. My relationship with him really blossomed and I could not get enough of his word and seeking him. The Lord filled me up with his love, so that I was then compelled to share this news of redemption with others. That summer the Lord led me to China to grow me in him and be changed by sharing with others. The gospel really seems to work this way. God reveals sin, you repent and realize you are not believing that God loves you, then once he fills your cup, it can't help but overflow with his love! You are compelled to share your 'treasure' with others.
      This past year of my life has been one of the worst and best years. The worst because the transition of going from one to two kids was definitely the hardest experience of my life on many different levels. It was the best year, because God used my suffering to show me my sin, reveal my idols, bring me to my knees, and rid me of myself, so I can trust his saving grace and ultimately show me true joy in him. I can testify that the Lord really and truly changed me. I have freedom in so many areas that I have struggled with for years. I still have a long way to go, but I am confident that the Lord will finish what he has started.
    I am so thankful that it is the Lord that sanctifies me, because I am not good at being a christian. I am not patient or kind (with my children). I am often envious of others, I like to boast about myself, I am often proud (thinking my way is right). I am sometimes rude, I am mostly self-seeking (wanting to talk about myself), I am very easily angered (with my husband), and I keep a record of wrongs (with my husband). I never protect, trust (overwhelmed alot), hope, or persevere. I will always fail others...BUT, "the person and work of Jesus in my life," is making me a new creation. My hope is that he will continue to mold me and shape me into his likeness:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I Corinthians13:4-8a 

 His love compels me to love others

I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
 Matthew 25:40

Sarah Groves wrote and sang this song, "I saw what I saw", during her time in Rwanda. A Beautiful and inspiring song about the pain and suffering that changed her. God does not compel everyone to adopt a child from Africa, but if he does, every video of African children, put to music, will make you cry!! And I have never even been to Africa! This is truly a work of the Lord!