Nothing to Offer.....

but directions to the Hospital.  I'm just a sick old sinner myself, who met the Healer, and just wants to point others to where I found help, healing, life, eternity, Jesus.
I have nothing to brag about, nothing to offer, but just what God is doing in my life today.

This post has been brewing since, really my first post.  As I would share and read back over my posts sometimes . . .I would just wonder, does this sound pretentious, self-righteous, preachy??  I just need to clear the air, so that anyone reading now, or in the future knows that I DON'T HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER, nor do I claim to.  I'm an absolute mess, that needs my Savior Jesus, EVERY. SINGLE.  DAY. 

To one who has been forgiven much, much forgiveness is expected.  Surely someone else has already said that, but it's so true.  I feel this is me, and I'm learning to walk in this more every day.  Learning as a friend said, "to give others more GRACE."  I myself, NEED more grace, from family, my friends, my children. I still mess up every day.  But I'm loved by my Heavenly Father, my Savior, and I'm forgiven.  I've been set free from my past, from legalism, from expectations of the world, from religion, from anyone else's plans for my life but the Lord's.  This is a freedom that I'm only learning to walk in, in the past few years, and really even today.  It's a slow gradual process of breaking each link in those chains that the Devil would just love for us to drag around forever.  He doesn't want us set free, to pour out the love of Jesus that has been poured on us.  He doesn't want us free enough, that we grow to disciple others, no longer labeling ourselves as not good enough.   He doesn't want us freed up from legalism in our church routines & organizations so that others can truly see a love and unity in Christ that is genuine and better than the rituals that the world has to offer.  Often I wonder, am I making any progress??  But then you look back over your shoulder and see that yes, the scenery has changed, I'm not just running around the same hamster wheel of dissappointment.  Now I may hop on a different hamster wheel from time to time, and get stuck in some selfishness, pride, or critical spiritville, but Praise the Lord, I'm at least recognizing that I'm back on the wheel faster than before, and say Lord forgive me, let me lay it down again and get out of here. 

Why am I even blogging?  Partly for my sanity, to share with anyone that might understand where I am in this journey.  Partially for my husband's sanity, no one man can listen to all the ponderings of one woman's heart.   Lastly because I've been praying to be used by God in His plan for my life since I was a young girl and this past year my whole life got flip-turned-upside down in the best way ever.  We had revelations in our walks with Christ (my husband & I).  From these revelations and seeing the need to die to self daily, we've seen victory in our marriage.  God just cleaning out the junky stuff, the inner layers of the onion that I now feel had to be dealt with for us to ever walk-in what He has for us to do.  Out of this season of isolation from our dearest friends (job transfer to another state), God did some serious pruning.  We're at the 2 year mark, since we moved away, and what has seemed so long and painful at times, has now landed in a peaceful place.  "Now, Satan don't even try to show me tomorrow, just how unpeaceful it can be, in the name of Jesus."  Not perfect, still one-day-at-a-timeville, but with a closer walk with the Lord, and little by little learning to have JOY no matter what the world throws at us in a day.  We have a God planted dream in our hearts of growing our family through the miracle of adoption.  Why?  Cause I'm a "all that and a bag of chips" mom of three who's got it going on, all organized, clean house, homeschooling pro with no worries??  NO!! Because I love the Lord, and He's taken us on a journey.  A journey, of looking deeper at what is life really about?  What does He want?  What does the Gospel require?  What matters when I meet my maker?  We asked to be burdened and see the world as Jesus does.  As long as Jesus is not physically here with us, we are the only hands & feet He has.  What are we doing that makes an eternal difference in the lives of others?  Our journey led us to Katie Davis' blog, which left us with one desire, to live a life that is so dependent on GOD...EVERY DAY, that we can't FORGET Him, our need for HIM.  We desire a life that in order to survive, we have to walk with our FACE SMUSHED BESIDE HIS, gripping his hand with all we've got, so that we EXPERIENCE HIM INTIMATELY EACH DAY, we EXPERIENCE HIS MIRACLES and KNOW HIM, so that we KNOW HIS WHISPER.  That desire led us to adoption, which led to orphan ministry, which just led us all the way to Uganda for a week.  Now for many who the Lord led to Katie's blog about a year ago like us, their journey went straight to paperwork, and they began a process that culminated with the homecoming of a precious child into their home in the last few months.  Why that has not been the plan for us, I do not know.  It just hasn't.  Logistics in our life, led us to have to wait.  So we wait.  Biblical, oh I know.  But it doesn't get any easier.  Has there been beauty, and growth, and new relationships, and a divine plan unfolding in the wait, why the loudest YES! I give all the Glory to God for any good that He has produced in our lives in the last year, well EVER, actually ;)  Now that I've cleared the air ... now I feel free to share about my journey to Jinja.  Whew, glad that's done. 

Miracle Ear...

No, Not of the Infomercial Variety!

I just have to rejoice with all of you who prayed for Isaiah's eardrum to be healed.

I asked for prayer in my only post since returning home.  But even as I prayed, God reminded me through a book I was reading that it's not about ME being able to ask my heavenly Father for anything.  I have no right to ask.  But I am in Christ.  And in Christ, because of who He is, in His name alone.... I can ask anything. 

I also realized even though it seemed a little selfish (my kids are really blessed with general good health) that I was more confident in believing God for more because of the testimony of Sarah, which you can read about HERE.  It also seemed a little strange to be praying for the restoration of an eardrum, the same request as Sarah's.  Well it's not like God has a supply closet of miracles and he's all out of eardrums for today, ha!

So here's the story.  We left on a Monday night, and arrived in J*nja on Wednesday morning.  Late Wednesday night we get a call from the US.  We had given out numbers in case of an emergency, but this was a little quick for a 10 day trip.  In fact it WAS serious, our boys had been being boys at the breakfast table at a restaurant and an accident happened with a Star Wars light saber, and Isaiah's eardrum was hurt badly.  Our precious parents took him to have it checked out, and when the doctor looked in his ear with the scope, he took a seat before saying, "It's not good.  His eardrum has been taken out.  But the good news is the bones that you hear with are okay."  After examination, he went on to make the ENT referral for surgery.  He described in detail to our parents the skin graft procedure to recreate an eardrum. Isaiah was put on strong antibiotics and the appointment was made for this past Wednesday.  Satan didn't waste anytime attacking the ole parents on day 1 of our mission trip. 

It wasn't until we returned home last week, that we fully understood the extent of Isaiah's injury.  My husband was the one that immediately redirected my mental energy to praying for complete healing.  And my heart just said, yes absolutely.  So as I drove Isaiah to the appointment yesterday, I had great anticipation of what God might do for this precious child of mine.  I knew all this pain & worry was the work of the enemy and God may or may not choose to heal him.  I knew He might choose to walk us through surgery.  But until He says no, I'm believing Him to spare Isaiah from this unnecessary pain.

As we waited in the chairs, a sweet talkative lady, asked was he sick.  I explained the deal, but that I was praying for a miracle.  She responded boldly, with, "Yes darling! Prayer works!"  We go back and Isaiah is being unusually clingy for an independent little boy of almost 5.  He has a stuffed dog in one arm, and is wrapped around me.  I continued to pray over him.  Finally the doctor comes in, she asks which ear.  We tell her the left, and she looks at the good ear first.  Then she looks in his left ear and says,

"Well, not only does he HAVE an eardrum... but IT IS COMPLETELY HEALED!"

Tears filled my eyes, and I smiled as I told her that is what we have been praying for.  She said, "I mean it's completely healed, I see the cells in the center where the eardrum was torn.  This type of injury usually takes over a month to heal."  She said, "There's no hole."  No more medicine, no more surgery, he can swim.

Isaiah, said, "Mom, it's a miracle!"

Since this doctor was not the one who originally saw the injury, she didn't see the before.  She didn't comment on our miracle, but said, "Well it's amazing what you can see with a scope."  I replied, "Well we are giving the credit to Jesus."  I then had to explain to her what the first physician had seen and said, and that he'd seen the bones. 

To God be the Glory!!  Yes, I would still feel this way even if we were having surgery.  He holds me & my family in the palm of His hand.  But on this day, He showed out just for us, for us who deserve nothing.  He loved on us, our Isaiah in a huge way, a miracle ear!!!

God really showed out, when afterward, the doctor did a hearing test, and his hearing was better than ever, better than his previous 4 yr checkup where he almost failed the hearing test. LOL! 

We're Home from Ug*nda!!

My husband on the road from the children's to the baby home.

Thank you so much for all your prayers.  My husband & I arrived at the airport last night about 7pm and finally made our way through customs, out to the park and ride and eventually onto our three children at 10:30pm last night.  My heart is full and aching from Ug*nda and having to leave, and full from being reunited with my kids.  I do have a huge praise and a prayer request.  The Lord has covered both of us and our entire team in terms of our health while we were in Ug*nda.  We ate the local food prepared by the cooks at the S*nrise Baby Home and had no problems at all.  We were blessed with good health, but on our last plane ride from London, I began having body aches all over.  I thought at first it was just sore muscles from the work we did two days prior in the village working on phase one of amud home.  Later we realized I was running low grade fever.  After last night's sleep I woke up with low grade fever again and body aches.  I think I just have a virus, and am asking you to pray that whatever it is, it leaves me quickly.  My middle son, also had an accident while we were away that resulted in the destruction of his ear drum.  Please pray for God to heal his eardrum and for him not to need a skin graft and reconstructive surgery, as it's been explained.  Our appt. with the surgeon is this coming Wed. 

I apologize that I was not able to blog as predicted.  The first half of our trip it wasn't readily available, and the later days were just so full from sunup to sundown that I was too exhausted.  Over the next few days of resting and processing I hope to walk you through my journey as I journal through my week in Jinja. 

Dinnertime for the children of S*nrise

Moses is ready for AFRICA

Okay, so I couldn't wait for Ug*nda to show you this one. This mural is about (NO, it IS) the most joy enducing project I've ever worked on...the Lord spoke so many things to my heart as I painted on this all into the wee hours of the morning. To give you perspective this is about 12 feet long.

I mentioned before that I had selected this image to draw/paint before it dawned on me that Moses was ADOPTED.


Someone asked if I traced or used a projector, I did not.
Here's the picture I looked at to draw the mural, taped to the front.
Like I said the projector in my head is nothing short of GOD.

Here's our manly crew that worked so hard on Noah's Ark...
precious warriors with hearts for Jesus.

My hubbie was leading this awesome work, while I was packing bags & shipping S*nrise T-shirts in AL.  I'm on the best team in the world, and so thankful for it.  Can't wait to blog as our journey begins on Monday night...1st pitstop Heathrow in London. :)

Getting There....

Please read this post by Kim, my newest friend, well she's more than a friend because we're sisters in Christ whose hearts are entertwined through Uganda and the Sonrise Baby Home.  But it's neat that we didn't "know" each other at all before God arranged for us to go on this trip together.  We went to the same large church for almost 5 years and but our paths only crossed from a distance.  I just spent Wednesday and Thursday at her home, preparing our donation bags for the trip and preparing our first round of T-shirts to SHIP.  They are awesome by the way, SO soft.  Please read her blog about our adventures in Getting There.  She wrote for both of us, because we were/are wiped out.  I am refreshed this morning, but still need prayer as two mommas, and 1 daddy plan to leave our combined 6 children for the God adventure of our lives. 

Abba Changes Everything | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Abba Changes Everything Christianity Today A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

If you are curious about adoption. If something has been happening in your heart, and you are questioning your own motives in considering adoption, if you are questioning if it's really God speaking to you about adoption... I encourage you to READ THIS ARTICLE.


I completely relate to the fact that I can't separate the two, the doctrine of adoption and actual "real adoption". There are 2 things happening at once; the growing of my family (that still feels incomplete) through adoption and rescuing a child that otherwise wouldn't have a mom & dad, and then the deeper calling to participate in a God-calling of orphan care and for some of us that is through adoption. Our desire to adopt more children into our family isn't just a new cause to put our energy into (like the author says, "with a new wristband to wear") for the present time until the trend ends.
But, I can not dismiss the fact that God is doing something much bigger in
our hearts and lives than just deciding to fill out some paperwork and go through a process, the same way any of us with biological children decided to "try" to get pregnant and go through a process that hopefully ends in a delivery room.  For many Christian families whose blogs testify all over the internet, it is more than just another route to a child.
I believe with all my heart and have said to some, that I see Holy Spirit moving among the body of Christ regarding orphan care and adoption. In an even bigger way, I see Him trying to AWAKEN us to get outside our church walls, and ask to see the world and it's needs through Jesus' eyes, and then get up and do something about it.  I always remember a comment made by one of my dear former pastors...(I'm paraphrasing) there's more to this Christian life than holding hands in Holy huddles in this church and singing Kum Ba Ya until Jesus comes back. It's got to be about more than getting all our kids saved and checking the box on the heavenly insurance policy.  A LIFE in CHRIST must be lived out.  This article explains what I never could; but have been feeling
deep within . . . that there is a unity in diversity that exists in adoption that God has ordained and Lord willing will be used to make the Body of Christ look and act as He desires for it to.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the article...unlike some I'm a talker & a people person and I want this blog to be a place for the sharing of hearts and the exchange of ideas even those that differ.  Think I'm nuts for going to Uganda? lay it on me. :)  You won't be the first . . I come from a big family of opinionated people. ha!

Jonah Goes to AFRICA!

Here's what I've been up to for the last week.
The murals for the orphan home just weren't happening...surprise, surprise
 seeing how life with 3 kids doesn't stop for a project.
Sooo, when my Mom offered to tag team childcare, swimming for the kids,
 and painting by my side. . .I decided what have I got to lose?  So, we headed to the lake.
These murals were not painting themselves at My house.
With 13 days until we board a plane, it was PAINT ON!!
My sweet Wednesday night kids (1st-5th graders),
 from Living OutLoud at West Rome Baptist,
got Jonah started a few weeks ago...

JONAH BEFORE


And Mom & I took it from there.
JONAH AFTER


These Paintings were Powered by:

This girl could not survive without CHOCOLATE!
And nothing beats Peanut Butter WITH CHOCOLATE, Yummmm!
Close up of Jonah, that's one BIG FISH!!

And last, after Jonah's supernatural success (I've never painted like this before)..
We embarked on Baby Moses...here's the
BEFORE

TO BE CONTINUED....from Jinja, Uganda :)