One Sought Me

It isn't a coincidence that our bible verse for this week's adoption countdown chart just happens to focus on trust and that the message at church last Sunday was about trusting the Lord and laying down our burdens before Him.  Nor is it by chance that our school bible verse this week focuses on trust and resting in His peace.  I think the Lord is trying to tell me something!?" Am I trusting Him completely or am I squirming and anxious in my thoughts while questioning over and over, "what is going on Lord?"  In my case, it's restlessness about the adoption that I need to lay at the feet of Jesus and let go of it.  Not let go then return to worry and fret, but truly release what is constantly heavy on my mind.  What is your situation?  What fogs your mind and stirs you up that in reality you have no control over?  What do you need to lay down before the Lord and then rest in His peace? If I stand back and listen to myself, I sound like my three year

I know that in waiting beauty is being created.  "Rome wasn't built in a day" so the saying goes, and not even the Universe was created in one day! Often I think of the mystery of the butterfly and the waiting time for that little caterpillar to change. The chrysalis being just a phase that will one day reveal the lasting beauty that it was always intended to be! Knowing that God's creation goes through seasons and cycles and changes, I hold on to the time-tested promises that one day, things will be in the beautiful state that they were always intended to be here in our family! This waiting time is beginning to get tough.  The first several weeks just flew by and we weren't expecting any news from the adoption agency, so I think they were easier weeks.  Also there was the huge relief of the paper weight being off our shoulders that did keep us flying high for awhile. Now there is down time. Wait time. And "no news" time. In Ethiopia, courts have

"In the beginning God".... That's the first phrase of the great Bible words.  "God created" and what a beautiful world He made with the people who fill this world being His most treasured creation.  Both amazing and complicated too. Through our adoption journey to adopt from Ethiopia we have been blessed beyond measure (Glory to God) to meet wonderful and gracious people.  Strangers even who have rallied around us in support and prayer giving encouragement to us as we follow God's calling in our lives and become our friends.  Though not everything is sunshine and rainbows, color seems to be the biggest distraction for others to see what God has in store for this journey. Psalm 139:13-16 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricat

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then come right back! Day7: Day 7 of prayer for the orphans! What a special time this has been for me in prayer with my Lord, in fellowship with friends, other adoptive parents, and experiencing the peace of the Lord hearing and answering our prayers for the children is overwhelmingly amazing!  I am certain that the Lord is at work in answering the requests of our cries that see fit to His will.   I am reminded of a time in Daniel's life where he was in deep prayer and fasting awaiting for an answer from the Lord.   Let's look at Daniel  10:3-8 "All that time I tasted neither wine no meat, and of course I went with out desserts.  I neither washed nor shaved nor combed my hair.  Then one day early in April, as I was standing beside the great Tigris River, I looked up and suddenly there before me stood a person robed in linen garments, with a belt of purest gold

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then come right back! Day 6: As we enter into this day of fasting and praying, I am amazed at my load of faults that rise to the surface during times of prayer such as these.  These times of prayer are to lift others up in prayer, but God has a way of revealing Himself to the deepest parts of our hearts too!  In our weakness He is strong. I pray that the Lord has been working on your heart and is asking you to trust Him, seek Him, reverence Him, find peace in Him, and lean on Him in times of uncertainty.  Today, let us rejoice in Him!  "My cup overflows with blessings." Psalm 23:5  tells us, but what if there is nothing in our cup?  "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 reads, but what if our home isn't safe?  I think of our western culture and it's definition of "blessing"

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then come right back! Welcome to Day 5 of dedicated prayer for the orphans around the world and for the families that love them and are waiting to welcome their little ones home (or are already home!) Today's post is written by a sweet friend of mine that God truly brought to me.  Our families as well as many others, are walking through this process together, encouraging one another, crying out to one another in pain and in need of help, and praying for each other through the communication tool of the internet.  We are all very grateful for friends and families across the globe who are walking this road of adoption with us. Thanks Jamie for sharing your heart for the orphans with us through this 165 hours of prayer post! Day 5: How will we get through these tough times? This is the question we ask ourselves as we face challenges in our lives. My dear friend Eri

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then read Day 1 , Day 2 , Day 3, and come right back! Or just pick up from here and join us in prayer!! The Lord hears your prayers no matter if you started from Day 1 with us or are just praying today! I just have to start off with a Praise!  Yesterday a family in our agency accepted a referral for their new children!! This means that they moved a step forward in the process and were matched with their children!! Pray for the family as they move on to the next step in waiting to travel to meet the kids in person and for court dates! Our God is an AWESOME GOD!! Day 4: Have you ever considered the bible story of Jonah and the Whale in the light of how many things of nature obeyed God?  Most often we hear this Old Testament story and consider Jonah and his disobedience to the calling of the Lord.  We consider the lesson to us to be in the example of Jonah's wrong thinkin

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then read Day 1 , Day 2 , and come right back! (Don't worry if you haven't started 'on time' or followed 'exactly' the suggestions of this prayer, please, just start now and continue on with us in this special time of prayer!) Day 3: The Fine Print  The details of the adoption process can be, nope, they just ARE overwhelming.  From day one of paper work with appointments, calls, interviews, forms, mailing, contracts, research....there are many details that need to be perfect in order for the adoption process to run smoothly.  The t' are crossed and the i's are dotted so to speak, but a fact is that some forms ARE specific about what color ink you use!  Thankfully, we serve a God of detail.  He is so detailed oriented that He knows the hairs on your head, the grains of sand on the beach, the very intricate parts of the human body, not to mentio

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then see Day 1 and come right back! Day 2: I hope that yesterday went well for you to be in thought and prayer for the orphans.  Fresh on your mind and eager to start out this challenge, but don't be discouraged or give up if you had a slow start and a tough day! I know I was getting weak there come the 2 p.m. time so I just ate 'dinner' at 3:30 to call it my 'meal' for the day!  That helped, but it was hard! If the idea of 'one meal a day' is too intense for you, don't give up! And don't feel pressured to keep it up either.  There are no special stickers or prizes here, just the purpose of being mindful in prayer.  Choose something else then that will be a big reminder to you to pray and to be mindful of this as a day of prayer. Remember that the reminders of our weaknesses are also reminders to us that we rely on the Lord to be our stren

165 Hours of Prayer for the 165 Million Orphans World Wide:   New to the 165 Hour Prayer?  Start here , then come right back! Day 1: Welcome to Day 1!  As we start out this mission of prayer, full of passion and eagerness to see what the Lord will do in the lives of the orphaned children, adoptive families, caregivers, office workers, etc. etc. remember that no matter how great or small the blessings-whatever the Lord brings, whatever seeds are started, or hearts changed, this journey will be worthy of praise!  Let us remember that works are being done even when we do not see them as the Lord never rests and is just in all His ways.  Trust in these promises and in His knowledge that reaches beyond our understandings. This journey is also to bring us closer to Him in our trusting His ways, not just pleading for blessings.  Scripture: Psalm 34:1-7 NLT "I will praise the Lord no matter what happens.  I will constantly speak of His glories and grace.  I will boast of all his