98%, 2%

I once read that by spending 2% of our time out of our normal context, out in the world, out of our normal sphere of comfort for the purpose of ministry, God begins to expand our horizons. This 2% out, then has effects on our 98% in to the point of irreversible inner change. We start to live our home lives differently, with new perspective. God takes our out-of-the-box experiences and changes our in-the-box life…sometimes so much so that we find ourselves compelled to spend 98% out and 2% in!

January 2011...Seeking information on adoption, I "mistakenly" filled out the personal information page on the Missions tab rather than the Adoption tab on All God's Children International's website. I still can't remember doing it or how that happened, but God most certainly knows. Days later we received the phone call that would open new doors unexpectedly. I was seeking information on adoption, but apparently I had signed us up for a mission trip to China instead. Oops.

Being the types who are always on the lookout for God's next adventure in our lives, we decided this must have been an intervention from the Lord and so we signed up! I still laugh thinking back on that phone call. "Let's get you and your family to China!" she said with excitement. My husband's face said bewilderment...but...OK! Let's do it!!

God does have a sense of humor, I suppose. And so they went. My eldest daughter and he journeyed to China and they were changed. God took this funny "mistake" of mine and turned it into His sovereign plan to ignite a passion for ministry to the least of these in my husband's heart, my daughter's too...and years of prayer were answered. 



 

I love that the story takes yet another turn...Brodie has recently joined a leadership team for AGCI to be able to lead future short term trips. He is SO excited! Again, I have to laugh as I think of how God knew what He was doing when I clicked the "wrong tab" and He sees what is even yet to come. What a relief to follow Him, hands off the wheel, trusting a great God with great plans.

98%, 2%

It's the 2% that really gets you. How much of life is in the monotonous, the preparation? Undeniably, the preparation seasons of life are invaluable, but it's those out-of-the-box experiences that have a way of really changing our in-the-box world...sometimes so much so that we feel compelled to leave the box behind and follow Jesus into the unknown.

I thank God for the tab I didn't select that day and I'm more convinced than ever that apart from us, His will WILL be accomplished. We cannot thwart God's plans.

Why not spend 2% of the next year of your life on a mission trip or in an act of service that's out of the norm? You never know how God will use that 2% to transform the rest of the 98%.

 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

HOW DO WE DO IT? (QUANTITY TIME)

This, a question our family is asked fairly often...and one I ask myself even more...day by day,

moment by moment, I'm asking my Father God as well,

"How do we do it...this thing called life and raising a tribe of children for you, Lord? How would you have us do it?"

QUANTITY TIME WITH GOD

Usually, when I'm asked this question, my first response is, "The grace of God!" But, to clarify what that means to me and how that looks on a daily basis, the best answer I can offer is surprisingly simple and basically boils down to what I call Quantity Time.

“Strive to enter through the narrow door.

For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Luke 13:24

In a world that seems to emphasize quality time, we feel the Lord has called us to something more.

Quantity Time with God, pursuing relationship and devotion to Him comes first. Without spending time with God through Bible study and prayer, how can we know Him and vice versa? This striving after our Savior, this grappling for relationship with Him isn't a burden and because of God's grace it results in peace, joy, and confidence in Him.

Quantity Time with Jesus must be our everything, lest we find ourselves "unknown" by Him, lest we find ourselves depleted of Him...the Living Water from whom ALL blessings flow. We must know Him and be known by Him. We must love Him and receive His ready love for us. And this requires a relationship, fellowship, time in His presence and Word. We're dependent upon Him every minute of every day and for me personally, I don't know how I would make it through even one hour without God's faithful, amazing grace.

What a gift!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

Ephesians 2:8

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,

but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me,

‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name,

and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them,

‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

Matthew 7:21-23

May we avoid the shock of such words by heeding the beckon to know the Savior and by devoting our lives to that which we've been called. May we know Him and grow to become more like Him because we have been with Him.

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated,

common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."

Acts 4:13

Quantity Time with God is a necessity for us as individuals, as a married couple, and as a family. In each context of our family, and especially as individuals, Quantity Time with God is the key. Devotion to God, abiding fellowship with Him overflows into our lives that which He has to offer (good fruit). We cannot bear good fruit apart from Him and His generous grace. This is good news!

"Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him,

bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Colossians 1:10

As humans, we fail constantly...even if just in thought. But God, He is perfect and capable. When we submit to His leading in even the details of our lives, then He gets the credit for anything good that He is producing. He deserves all praise for His workmanship in our lives and also for His forgiveness and mercy when we fall.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Matthew 6:33

If we are going to have anything good to offer to others, especially our family members with whom we (hopefully) spend the most time, we must have been with Jesus. This is the only way to consistently bear good fruit and even then, how prone to sin we are! Praise God for forgiveness and mercy when we have fallen short.

“None is righteous, no, not one."

Romans 3:10

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9

Quantity Time with our Father God requires intentionality and it hinges upon His sovereign grace, but He tells us that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us (James 4:8) and so we would be wise to do so. I remind myself (and my children) daily that just as a car needs gas to operate, so do we need fuel for our souls.

Make no mistake about it, in our flesh, we bring nothing to the table, nothing of worth except that which God has bestowed. In communing with Him, however, and in the pouring out of ourselves, the Holy Spirit fills and leads us into His plans to use us. He does this through intimate, abiding communion with those who choose to follow Him. And this is not a duty. Quantity Time with God is our delight because we love Him.

"May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord."

Psalm 104:34

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

Luke 5:16

So, what does Quantity Time with God look like practically speaking? For me, it is the privilege of time reading the breath of God's Word...the Bible, time spent in prayer and communion with Him in the quiet of my heart and mind, time spent pondering God's will for our lives, writing about what God is teaching me, reading other sources of godly encouragement, turning all thoughts to prayer throughout the day as I cling to eternally-minded priorities, returning to God's Word throughout the day for refreshment as opposed to other things, talking about Him with others (especially our family members), listening to worship music in our home and car and singing praises to Him, and a constant redirection of every motive to be sure that it lines up with Scripture and is glorifying to God.

Ultimately Quantity Time with God is simply remaining yoked to the Vine,

relying on His grace and presence all day every day, and holding fast to an eternal perspective.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him,

he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:5

Quantity Time with God is about LOVING Him. When you truly LOVE someone, you long to be in their presence, you think about them all the time, you are consumed with emotion and relational desire to be with that person. Jesus is a person. He is the One we love. He is the One we long to commune with. This is not a token five minute devotional in the morning to be checked off the day's To Do list. It is a constant relational interaction with our Father God, His Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and His Word, ALL the time.

Quantity Time with God is a motivationally prioritized necessity,

not an obligation or something we just "ought to do".

Quantity Time in relationship with the Lord changes lives and it is the only good answer I have to how I could ever produce anything good. The only good in me is the Holy Spirit of God. May He be glorified through the good and praised for His forgiveness, mercy, and grace when I, in my flesh, miss the mark daily.

The question is not IF I will have sins and weaknesses, but rather, what will I do with my sins and weaknesses?

I wrote more about that HERE, but ultimately the point is that we need to turn to our Savior WHEN we get it wrong. We need to point our children to their Savior WHEN they get it wrong...and we ALL will...every day! How can we encourage our children in this if we don't truly know Him ourselves as the parents? How can we do this promptly if we are not WITH our children? We must remember the gospel! We must preach the Good News to ourselves and our children repeatedly. We must remain in the shelter of His wings.

"How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge  

in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light."

Psalm 36:7-9

QUANTITY TIME WITH FAMILY

Next, Quantity Time with others, namely our family members, follows. As we delight ourselves in the Lord, His Holy Spirit wells up inside to a level we can't contain. His love for others flows from the deep wells of His love when we are filled to overflowing with HIM.

This overflow is an inevitable byproduct of our communion and relationship with the Father.

As follows, another quandary deserves our attention...Without spending time with our children, lots of it, how can we be the MOST influential people in our children's lives? Homeschooling allows us the advantage of Quantity Time with our kids.

The more time we spend with our children,

inevitably, the more opportunities we have

(the result of simple logistics) to be the

most influential resource pouring God's

Word into their spongy hearts and minds.

Quantity Time with our children is a gift we are free to participate in here in our free country. The added advantage of simple TIME is truly a blessing in parenting! Homeschool allows us this opportunity and especially so when we take our role seriously in both good times and challenging times. EVERYONE learns when we make a choice to be all in...together.

Additionally, it would be very difficult to manage our homes well according to the instruction of Titus 2 for women without spending Quantity Time at Home, that is, without physically being home. In our culture, families have SO many opportunities around every corner to busy ourselves that we can miss out on the beauty of spending time at home. Of course there are beneficial opportunities outside our family context as well and we most definitely are to live as salt and light in our world. But in the fleeting years of parenthood, how easily we can miss the privilege of home life investments. And, how can we invest well at home? Quantity Time with God is always the prerequisite. The Holy Spirit is our source of all. He fills us up, and we pour His love out.

"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

1 John 4:12

Again, as we delight ourselves in the Lord, spending the best of our time with Him both physically and mentally, He fuels our hearts' desires into alignment with His will and we pour out good because of Him. As parents, when we spend large quantities of time with our children, mentoring their hearts, we have by default, more opportunities to train them up in the way they should go. We have more abiding fellowship where we can pray with them, turn to God's Word, mediate biblical conflict resolution, give and ask for forgiveness, learn selflessness, offer loving communicative discipline, model striving after God in all things, and the list goes on and on...

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

I like to say, "Quantity Time with God = Quantity Time with others" because the Holy Spirit spurs us on to desire to do His will in the lives of others when we submit our own lives first to Him. Likewise, "Loving God = Loving others" because our love for Christ results in loving others with His love. The more we love and know Him, the more we will desire to express His love to others.

This is inevitable and especially true for parents.

Parents love children the way God our Father loves us, His children, because of HIS love. Our love for God fuels the desire to love our children well because of His Holy Spirit within us, not because of ourselves. This is the only way to authentically and consistently pour out the fruit of the Spirit, and again, even then we are prone to sinfulness for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

As it is written: 

"No one does good, not even one."

Romans 3:12

So God's forgiveness, the hope of the gospel, and His unending grace and mercy are a constant part of the process as well.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Romans 5:6-11

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Galatians 5:22-23

LOVE GOD = LOVE OTHERS

QT GOD = QT OTHERS

Being a visual person, these mental equations help me to understand and prioritize what God has taught me. It definitely requires a constant, daily, hourly, minute by minute redirecting of our focus because by nature we are all inclined to selfishness and sin. But, by God's grace, when we submit to Him and devote our lives to Him (including the best of our time), He pours out through us His good fruit, and peace and joy arrive. This is how we grow more and more like Jesus.

As a parent, I'm an advocate for spending Quantity Time with our children over quality time (which is vital too, so long as it is within a broader context of Quantity Time). Increased opportunities to be the most influential people in our children's lives inevitably expand when we are simply with them and this requires time.

Just as we need to be with Jesus, our children need to be with us, their parents, while they are young.

Proverbs speaks loudly about with whom we ought to spend our time.

"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways."

Proverbs 23:26

How will a child glean from a parent unless they are physically with the parent?

"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm."

Proverbs 13:20

In the case of Quantity Time with family, this Proverb presumes the parents are wise...

Hence the need for Quantity Time with God first for parents.

"A child left to himself brings shame to his mother."

Proverbs 29:15

It is key that parents invest in their children's lives constantly. We must be in their business.

I pray that the Quantity Time we invest in our children's lives serves to lead their hearts toward their Savior with each opportunity we take advantage of, because time is truly a gift from God. In a world that tempts parents to push this precious time away, I say, "Let's receive it with JOY! Let's guard and preserve and pursue the benefits of TIME spent with our children!"

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

Ephesians 5:15-16

IN CONLUSION

God has placed a burden on my heart to encourage parents (including ourselves!) to seek His desire to spend time, Quantity Time, with our children, discipling their hearts as He did with His own small group of disciples. Of course, first and foremost this requires Quantity Time spent with HIM, at the feet of Jesus, because He is the only sustaining source of anything good we have to offer. He is the Vine from which we bear good fruit. 

"I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit."

Hosea 14:8



 If we are going to overflow Jesus,

we must have been with Jesus.

We WILL act like those with whom we spend the most time...a truth worth considering carefully.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him,

he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:1-5

My earnest prayer is that parents would love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30) and turn to Him, asking for His heart to bleed into theirs His love for their children; that when parents don't want to spend Quantity Time with their kids, they would ask God for help and a changed heart; and that ultimately God would be glorified because of what He has done in the lives of families who have chosen Quantity Time first with Him...and then with their families.

So there you have the simple version answer to the question, "How do we do it?"

We don't. We can't. We won't.

But if, by His grace, we devote our lives (and the best of our time) to God, He's the One who does.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Exodus 14:14

"Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 
Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Psalm 37:3-6

More on Quantity Time at Home

Click HERE to hide Psalm 37:4-6 in your heart through the Seeds Family Worship song, Delight Yourself in the Lord.

I highly recommend all Seeds Family Worship CDs!!

HOW DO WE "DO IT ALL"?

The simple answer for this common question is...we don't. Surprised? There is a decided effort to not do it all in our family and so far this seems to work well for us. There was a time when organized sports and ballet lessons filled our calendars, teachers and lesson plans dictated our days. But it seems a more relaxed approach was in order and so we've changed things up over the years.

I've learned to say no when necessary and I do my best to maintain boundaries that are comfortable for us. I crave and need down time at home and am a firm believer in Quantity Time (with God and with family). I don't see how we could possibly train our children's hearts with consistency or spend enough time in the Word if we were constantly on the go. It's just not in the cards for us if we are going to be faithful to the clear cut vision God has cast for this growing family.

As for sports, we surf as a family and find our home away from home at the beach. Everyone participates together, we surf on our own schedule, and we can share the fun with family and special friends. Surfing is a gift from God for us and one way we've found simplicity while still doing something we all enjoy.

I'm thankful for homeschooling and flexible/alternative schedules. I'm thankful for the gifts of time and home. I'm thankful for God's beautiful ocean and sandy shores. I'm thankful that God has helped us define what we do and don't do in this sweet season of our lives. And I'm really thankful that we don't do it all.

"But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:41-42

(Cherished memories will always remind me of these days...)

 

"I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

the LORD of hosts is his name."

Isaiah 51:15

HOW WILL WE LOVE MORE KIDS?

If the most common first question we are asked when discussing our adoption is about the size of our house, then the most common second question we are asked is, "How will we love more kids?" or more often stated, "How are you going to do that?" After all, most people point out, it's hard enough raising two.

I totally understand this, and back when we had our first three children, I was having a pretty tough time myself. The enemy had convinced me that I wasn't cut out to be a mom of many (as I had always thought) and he had done some damage to my confidence back then. But God turned that "bad stuff" into His good as He taught me that it's my weakness that so brilliantly displays His strength.

"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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

To address the question of how we can possibly love more kids, the simple answer is that we can't...in our own strength. We can't love one, two, three, six, or eight kids apart from the love of Christ within us. In fact, we can't do anything at all apart from God.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

The enemy doesn't like loving, God-honoring families and he doesn't like adoption. He is eager to devour and destroy and he'd love us to feel inadequate to love another child, especially an orphan child. But before I accept his game of defeat, I take captive my thoughts as I remember and replay the words from the Word like a broken record in my heart and mind:

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly 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 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

What I've come to realize as God has taught me His heart is that He is the only source of anything truly good in me. He is the One who loves my kids through me. He is the One my children need, not me. Yes, He chooses to use me as I submit my life to Him, but He doesn't need me.

So, daily (hourly) I seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, I cling to Him, I love Him, I spend time with Him, I worship Him, I talk to Him, I listen to Him....and He lives out His will through me. This is my only explanation for how we intend to love the kids we have already been blessed with. It's the answer to the question, "How will we love more kids?" It's the only way I know how to be or do anything good at all.

I lift a simple prayer, asking the Lord to be my everything. I yield my soul to Him and expect His responsiveness with childlike faith. I acknowledge my inadequacy in all things, but revere God's sufficiency in ALL things. And I believe that God would not have knit more children into our family if it were not His good, wise, loving, and purposeful will for our lives and theirs. 

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

When I remind myself that God loves the whole entire world, each individual, somehow my small sphere of people to love feels basic. When I realize that my love, by God's grace, multiplies rather than divides with each new family member or friend I am encouraged. And when I stop looking at myself and fix my eyes on Him, the critical task of maternal love comes naturally. God is love and He supplies our needs as He equips us for that to which we've been called.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

May God be glorified through this broken empty vessel of a woman as I give myself to Him (and to as many children as He has planned for me to love). May He express Himself to my kids through me with His perfect, steadfast, abiding love. And, may He therefore be the One to receive the praise as He masterfully loves more kids.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 John 4:7-21

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes." -David Platt

IS OUR HOUSE BIG ENOUGH?

Interestingly, this is the most common first question we are asked when discussing our adoption. And, every time I think the same thought, Considering our kids are in circumstances right now where they have no electricity, no running water, no clean drinking water, typhoid, malaria, scabies, parasites, no mommy, no daddy, and multiple children in the small space the orphanage is able to provide, the last thing they need is square footage.

A more fitting question, I propose, would be, "Are our hearts big enough?"

By typical American "standards" we live in a relatively small house. Cozy might suffice.
Our kids share rooms and love bunking in together. Most nights, there are snugglers in our bed and siblings sharing pillows...not because they have to, but just because they want to.

We could have moved, and considered moving, at the outset of our adoption, but we've felt compelled to stay where we are and use our money to bring our kids home instead. Moving may come down the road, but for now, we are happy right where we are and nesting and projects to help fit our expanding family have been a really fun part of this process.

We hope and pray that perhaps we can encourage another family considering adoption, but concerned about space, that kids need families more than they need their own room. They need love. They need a place to call home. And mostly, they need Jesus.

We may not be able to give our kids 4000 square feet on 5 acres, but we can give them Jesus. We can give them love. We can give them a family, and a home, and a nurturing environment in which to live and play and thrive and dance and giggle and paint and bathe and pray and read and wrestle and bake and sing and snuggle and hug and eat and belong and be kids. We can provide unconditional loving arms, listening ears, and hugs that children deserve.

So, I ask myself, Is our house big enough? And I decide it is, but our hearts are WAY bigger.

"Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it."

Proverbs 15:16-17

"Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered."

Proverbs 21:13

"And [Jesus] said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.' And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.'”

Mark 9:35-37

CONGOLESE HYMNS

A sweet friend of mine told me that the lead singer of the band, Selah, grew up in the Congo in a missionary family and that the band has some songs in the native language (Lingala).

Here are a couple of Congolese hymns by Selah (with lyrics) we have enjoyed getting to learn...the kids LOVE this!

Please join us in prayer for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

YESU AZALI AWA (JESUS IS HERE WITH US)

 

ESENGO (GLORY)

 

 

TO MY DEAR AND LOVING HUSBAND

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.

-Anne Bradstreet

from To My Dear and Loving Husband, 1678

 

I'm thanking God today for 13 years of beloved marriage to my dear and loving husband, my best friend, with devotion.

How I love you, Brodie!

God was surely generous when He blessed my life with you.

"So they are no longer two but one."

Mark 10:8

JOHN 15:1-5

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away,

and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Abide in me, and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

I am the vine; you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:1-5 

ANOTHER BRACELET

How could we have known what only God could have planned? And so, a new prayer bracelet has been added with thanksgiving as another precious soul is knit to ours. God is good.

"The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul...Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul."

1 Samuel 18:1, 3

GOD PROVIDES

Today was a reminder, yet again, to always trust that God provides.
Where He leads, He also paves the way for His will to be accomplished and even the sparrow finds a home.

"Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God."

Psalm 84:3

Before we began the adoption process, I remember reading somewhere that money should never be a reason not to adopt and I believe it. Everything we have is from God in the first place and although at times we have wondered how, we have never doubted that He would provide financially for our adoption or anything else He calls us to for that matter.

 

We continue to trust Him with each leg of this journey as we await His plans to accomplish His will. May we never doubt God's goodness, faithfulness, and steadfast love because He cares for us and knows all that we need even before we can ask.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Matthew 6:25-33

Thanking the Lord today for using the vessel of a generous friend to minister to our hearts,

remind us that He is in control, and show us clearly that He always provides.

"He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" 

2 Corinthians 9:10-15