Should I Go?

Justin and I are praying, seeking and asking God to line out the details of a trip to Uganda - (and p.s. - He IS!!).  One question I know a lot of people have is - should I go or just send money?  This is a very valid question but here is what has been bouncing around this brain of mine.

If God is pricking your heart to Go - obey!  That is my first thought.

My second thought comes from James 1:27 -and IF (which it is because God said it is - end of debate) pure and undefiled religion ,before the God we worship and desire to be living sacrifices to, is to visit the orphans and widows - why is this such a huge struggle for Christians?   We pray, pray, pray about these types of trips and if God does not send big flashing lights that say - GO GO GO - we are just not quite sure if we should engage in this.  Shouldn't it just be a part of our lives?

There are 52 weeks in the year.  I am 30 so let's just say I have been Christian since I was 19 - that is 988 weeks that I have claimed to follow Christ.  I have spent 3 of those weeks visiting orphans - 3!  3 out of 988! 

OK so back to the question - should I send money?  Yes!  All the other weeks you are not visiting them! :)  Problem solved!  Whew - I am so glad we figured that one out!  :) 

Now I can go on with my day :)!

The Vaughan Olympics

Olympics are a big deal around here.  I looked outside the other day to find the kiddos making their own Olympic course.  They had set up "spectator" seating and everything!  Daddy got home just in time to enjoy and do a little competing himself - lol!

It is not an OR! It is an AND!

It is not an OR! It is an AND!

One thing I noticed after adopting is that people try and pigeon hole us (or others like us) to just that.  That adoption and orphan care is where it is at for us - nothing else. 

This kind of bothers me.  Sure, I want to be known as a lover of "the least of these" - shouldn't we all?  But see, that is not why we did it. 

We adopted in obedience to God. 

It is really that simple. 

God opened our eyes to the plight of the orphan.

We looked in His word to confirm (and HELLO, that was confirmed, see: James 1:27 & Ephesians 1:5 - just for starters).

We stepped out IN FAITH - trusting that God would supply the finances and all that had to happen to make the adoption come to fruition.  We also trusted that if this was not the Lord's will that He would see our hearts to follow Him and redirect us.  We rested in that!

See it wasn't about adoption or even Isaiah. 

It was about obedience to what God had placed on our hearts. 

Simple obedience.

We do not know where God will lead next. 

Another adoption?  Leading bible study?  Mission trip?  Serving in VBS?  Making a meal for a new mom?  Asking an unsaved family over for dinner?

Who knows?  God does!

And as Justin and I seek to follow Him daily, prayerfully asking for Him to light the path and desire to walk in obedience. 

I trust that God will lead.

Serving the Lord is not a situation where we say "we will pour into Ug*nda OR our church - adoption OR leading bible study - hosting in our home OR a mission trip."

It is about learning and growing in Him AND stepping out where ever it may be!

Just keepin' it real

They almost got me down! 

Who you may ask? 

The two toddlers I took to watch wrestling practice at theY!

I think they made a plan before hand because they seemed just fine before we arrived.

One took on the .... I am going to be a spoiled brat and the other took on the whinny sad mode.

Yup, I have two toddlers......

Next time - tennis shoes and a big ol' cup of coffee.

to be continued...........

~Just keepin' it real~ ;)

Thankful/Grateful Thursday!

Thankful Thursday!!

I am so grateful for my husband who knows and loves God deeply.  I am blessed, by God, for the man I have.  I often do not understand a certain scripture or a message and my husband will sit with me until we have worked it through - I am so thankful/grateful!!

I am thankful for great kids!  Each one - just awesome!

I am thankful a friend I have coffee with once a week - we pray, we laugh and we talk about growing in the Lord.  What a gift from God!

I am thankful/grateful that my Dad still sends me a valentine!  Thanks Dad!

I am thankful for my church family.

I am thankful for The Word of God!  There is no end to its depth.  So rich - full of life and insight - a lamp.

I am thankful for sunshine - we have not had any and I miss it...BAD....this time of year always seems to get me.  So next time the sun comes out - I am going to go and just stand in it - let it hit my face - ahhhh - can't wait!

I am thankful for the awesome school bus that dropped my beautiful kiddos off...... I am off to kiss their faces!

What are you thankful for?

The Big Red Tractor from Jacob Lewis on Vimeo.

Conversation with Isaiah

Last night while I was making dinner Isaiah and I were talking about belts (remember he is two - :)) and he wanted to know if he had one.  I was reminding him that he had one and wore in it Africa (his pants were way to big!).  That turned into the conversation about planes....this went on for about an hour and a half, he was so excited!  Cracked me up - he has the cutest personality in the whole world!

Update

Update on the process (this is a blog but from an agency working on the ground in Uganda) - http://lifelineadoption.blogspot.com/2010/02/uganda-update_05.html

?

Still hearing conflicting reports about the US Embassy and those receiving visas.  I wish I could tell you exactly what is happening but the truth is, is I am not there.

Instead of using my site as an information site please look else where.  I am here writing this because I love my sisters in Christ and know them.  My heart hurt badly when I was away from my family therefore I hurt for them in this hiccup - that is what we call it because I believe I will be seeing their family pictures soon - their whole family pictures - I can not wait!

There is going to be information sites to refer to - when I know - I will link - not to personal blogs - because they are just that - personal blogs.  :)

I look at adoption as I do labor and delivery - no two are alike.  I had 4 kids - all natural - no meds (no not one) and hubby "caught" two of them.  I loved it - I love the high afterwards - I was woman (hear me roar) lol - we even had a party in our hospital room 3 hours after #4 was born with about 30 people (my Dr. and Paediatrician present - we love, love, love them).  It was such an awesome celebration of life!!  Ahhh...

That little walk down memory lane was to say - every single adoption AND delivery is different - each is so complex with a ton of emotions.  Our situation was so different in Uganda. A lot of what people said would happen, we did not experience.  And a lot of things that people said would not happen, did.

So not knowing the details and not being there I am just going to say please keep praying for my friends - I know they are scared, tender at heart and going through a lot right now.

This "hiccup" may be a benefit in the long run for Uganda and the USA to have a clearer understanding - how cool would that be!!

First Canada - now the USA

~*update and correction*  I am not there in Ugand@- I am getting my info from my friends blogs who are going through the process right now.  This blog is my personal thoughts and feeling on what I have read from their blogs.  I have read on others that it is not halted so.... seems to be confusion.  To those that are reading my blog - I could be wrong, have been wrong and I am sure will be wrong in the future. :)  I wrote that I am sick because I am - there is a little girl that is sick and needs to get home...in my opinion.  I love Ugand@ spend lots of time encouraging other to go there - give there - pray for the beautiful people there.  There is a meeting tomorrow that will hopefully line all of this confusion out.~

I have asked for prayer on here for the Candi@n Embassy to issue visa and now here I am asking again but for the good ol' USA.  The have h@lted all visas to the USA coming out of Ugand@ I am sick, these are people and children I know.  These are children I held and whispered that their parents were coming.  These parents that have ALREADY begun to attachment process.  These are Isaiah's friends - friends that we are planning to meet up with this summer to celebrate what God has done in these orphans lives - orphans no longer!

I will link the three blogs that I follow closely - I know all three of these kids well and spent the first week in Ugand@ with Jade and Nathan.

Please pray!  These children all need to be released.  When I have more info I will share.

God is all knowing and all powerful and can crush this mountain.

God please pave a way for these orphans to be cared for.  Thank you Lord that you are in control no matter what happens.  Please comfort Jade, Nathan, Meghan, Chris, Court and Amy with Your peace and strength through this time.  Amen

This is Jade and Nathan's blog - http://inaweofyourgrace.tumblr.com/
This is Meghan and Chris's blog (Isaiah and Moses were buddies) - http://chrisandmeghan.com/
This is Amy and Court's blog (we knew their daughter and fought for her to receive medical care when we were there) - http://james127family.blogspot.com/

Great Post!!

I love this blog and could not agree more!  The price of our excuses are paid for by innocent children that could be in YOUR family but instead grow up not being loved, nurtured or  properly cared for.  Let us live our lives where God HAS to show up!  Build that boat, put that staff in the water, march around that city, put that blood over the door post or take that Isaac up to that alter - step out - God will meet you there.

Enjoy!  http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/

Lord, please help me to live each day in a way that points to You and You alone - please help me to not desire my ways and thoughts that seem to make sense - Your ways are so much higher!  Amen