Our Sheep

Our sheep, the youth that we have been blessed to minister to, are just about the most amazing kids I have ever known.  I love them deeply and they love me, and my sweet babies, so well.  They are a HUGE part of our lives.  In fact, there aren't many days that go by that at least a few of them aren't sitting in our living room or around our table.  Saying goodbye to them..This part of leaving this place in our lives is HARD.  We are excited to go into the future and know that we are in God's will, but OH we love these kids and the thought of not seeing them every week is enough to make me want to cry my eyes out.  They love my babies.  Oh they love my babies.

 They saw our Jillian at 15 pounds, neglected, broken, sick, and loved her anyway.  They have pursued her with a relentless passion doing all that they could to connect with her.  They have modeled Christ's love to her, learned her sign language, wrestled with her, and prayed for her healing.  She is a tough one to connect with, but my sheep they have, without counting the cost, given completely of themselves to love her.

 Many, many of these beautiful kids have given to our fundraising efforts and have actually been a part of bringing these treasures home to our fold.  They have volunteered for and ministered to our family again and again for the cause of the orphan.  These two treasures, our daughters, have been loved well by our sheep and this momma is touched again and again as I watch these kids interact with my girls.  I am grateful to them for all that they have done to help heal the hearts of my babies by loving them with a Christ like love that is just so beautiful and pure.

Honestly, I know that I am the one who was supposed to "give" something to these kids, but truly they have done so much more for me than I could ever do for them.  They have touched the deepest places of my heart.  They have shown me what it is to live out your faith and how to love others even when it is hard.  They each have changed a little piece of me for the better.  I now am leaving this place changed because of them and leaving them just makes me sad, but I know that God has great plans for where we are going.  I am doing my best to keep my watery eyes on the road ahead, but giving thanks for the many, many that God has given to love us as we have walked this road we are leaving behind.  I never dreamed I would experience the richness of love that God has allowed us to feel as we have ministered to these kids.  I am grateful to Him for it and I rest in knowing that He has the future in His hands.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice.

This post has been swirling in my head all week because this week I have come face to face with it. My husband and my darling kiddo are on the youth trip. My husband is a youth pastor and we love, love, love ministry and our youth.

We-was something that there was a lot of in our ministry before this adoption. Now, with our new treasure home, there is a lot of him and no me. If I told you that it wasn't hard, I wouldn't be being at all honest. Our youth, my girls in particular, were a huge part of my life. In fact, the times that I have taught them God's word, mentored them, and prayed with them have been some of the most meaningful in my spiritual life. God has grown me and stretched me through this ministry.

This ministry-being with teens-is not at all something that I ever wanted. To be honest when my husband dragged me into it, I was kicking and screaming the entire way. Now, I have experienced God through it in more ways than I could have ever dreamed and I love our teens. I love being in their lives. Love teaching them God's word, love tucking them in before bed each night (yes I really do that and they actually like it or at least pretend to), love praying with them, comforting them when God is stretching them, love loving on them, love being able to serve next to my man.. This week I couldn't do that. Truthfully, I haven't been able to spend much time with any of them since Jill has been home and it is definitely a sacrifice for me. It is something that God has asked me to lay down for this period in my life so that I can be a momma to one special baby girl who really needed one.

While I love being my little one's momma, giving up this ministry isn't easy. There are days that I struggle with not being there. Days that I wish I could have kept it all and still answered God's call to bring home our girl. Keeping it all just isn't in God's plan right now. I'm not sure what is in God's plan for using me for ministry in the months to come, but I miss it. I miss communicating with God for the purpose of teaching others. I miss being used by Him to help our youth grow in their faith.

On the other hand, I know that this toddler time will be over all too soon and so this week I have tried to not dwell on the sacrifice and instead embrace the gift. The gift that God has given me in this girl. While it has been life changing and some of those changes are bitter sweet, I am willing to continue to lay down my life and my plans for His which means loving on the little one asleep upstairs for this season in my life. How I am so thankful for that.

Sharing the Good News

So blessed to be able to attend the Camp of Champions USA chili supper last night with one of my favorite families. Blessed to hear all that God is doing through this ministry that provides Christ centered day camp to children in our area all summer long. I can't help but sob each year at this supper when I hear the stories of these children as they are told by staffers who faithfully serve in this ministry. So many hard to reach children, more than 40% from single family homes, loved on and shown Christ each and every week of the summer because of the sacrifice of so many working in this ministry. Many children each summer accept Christ and come to know him because God is using this day camp. I truly love this place. Love it so much that I send my own darling kiddo there a couple of times each summer. Love it even more because it provides a godly, Christ centered work environment in which many of our ministry youth can serve Christ while serving these children. We are blessed to have this ministry working right here in our community- reaching our kids with the gospel through the miraculous power of a God who is mighty to save the least of these. If you are looking for a place for your precious treasures to grow in the Lord while having fun this summer check out their website to find out more about COCUSA. (I know summer seems a long way off, but it will be here before we know it. I am especially hoping for that this year as Jill will be in our arms.) Happy Monday. :)

Happiness

Nothing makes me happier than this..


Because it means this...



So excited to begin our holiday weekend on Wednesday night with our youth ministry kids at the house. Nothing makes me happier than shovin' as many of 'em in my house as I can. We were sitting in every corner of every room. DH challenged us with a message about thankfulness from the Word and I fed 'em hundreds of pancakes. Love this life God has given me to live. Love havin' my house filled to the brim with our sheep! Oh that the Lord should bless me so abundantly. So very thankful to know Him as Savior and to be livin' this life in service to Him!!

On the Road Again..Please Pray

Saturday at 6:15 AM, we pack 27 suitcases and 23 teenagers with 4 adults into two fifteen passenger vans to begin a nearly twenty hour journey to Swan Quarter, North Carolina. We will spend the week there loving on the less fortunate children and working on community buildings/projects or homes of the poor. This week is always an amazing time for our teens in our ministry and without a doubt it always seems to have a huge impact on me too.

I was looking back at my pictures,like the one above, from our first trip in 2008. We took nine kids that first summer we were serving here in ministry. Many of them had little experience with God, didn't know much of His Word, or really know a thing about my husband or myself. WOW, what a diffrence two years can make. Now some of those same nine kids who were so new to God's word in 2008 are living lives of radical faith for our Lord each and everyday. In the past two years, I have seen them do things like: lead the annual See You At The Pole Event for hundreds of students at our highschool, share during our church service what Jesus is doing in their lives, intentially build into other believers through leading small groups for students younger than they are, serve by working at Christian camps, and attend international mission trips to spread God's love and teach His word to unreached people groups!! God has allowed us to see so much fruit coming from the lives/faith of our youth. As I look at the picture, I just keep thinking..from these few I will build my church...

So this year we are are taking 27..three times what we had the first trip. On these few I will build my church-a hand full of dedicated teenagers..changed by the Word of God in their lives. I couldn't imagine that God would do what He has done! I praise Him for the way that He reaches out to us and uses us! I never get tired of seeing the power of God's Word working through lives of the teens that I am privileged to walk alongside daily in this life.

Pray for us as we embark on another week filled with service, learning, worship, sleep deprivation, bad food, and no cell phones. We are blessed to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of our teens and we pray that more are reached for Him this week. I am praying that like those first few who answered and continue to answer the call, some will begin to live lives of radical, obedient faith to Him!

Keep It Filled

Right now my house is a disaster! There is not one clean inch. Every inch is covered with mud, dirt, and grass! The reason is that I had about 40 teenagers in my yard tonight playing water games and having fun. These are the teens in our ministry. For that reason, I love to have a dirty house! I praise the Lord for the dirt, grass, and mud. Just a few minutes ago I was on my knees on the dirty, grassy bathroom floor-with tears streaming down my face-praying that my house would never be empty. Do it Lord..Keep it filled. Keep them coming that I might be able to overflow your love onto them.

Fill this house Lord with those children who need a family! Fill this house!! Do it quickly!! My teens painted Jillian's new room, the empty bedroom upstairs, while I was gone in Guatemala. Empty now but waiting to be filled with her sweet face when she enters our family! I can't wait to hold her. Sometimes the waiting is just too much to bare. I can't explain how you can love someone so much that you don't even know or who may not even be born yet. Until she comes, Keep it filled Lord with as many as you can! What a blessing it is to be fellowship with the ones who love the Lord!! Keep it filled Lord!! Company makes waiting more bare able!