Unbelief

I never like to think that word describes me. But it does. When I try to overly plan and map out my day, rather than trusting in Him to lead the way. When anxiety and fear creep into my thoughts. When I know He can help me do anything. This little frames sits on my nightstand... It's one of my favorite verses. Even though I look at this little frame everyday, when I don't live it out and trust that He can do what He says He can, I'm practicing unbelief. He's been asking me to do something for a while. Telling me actually. It's touching the most stubborn side of me. I don't like it... AT ALL! Really God, can't it be something else? Leave my family and fly halfway across the world on a short-term mission trip. Sure! Refuse to change my job status back to full time even when I know the coming year will be financially difficult for us. No problem. He did ask these things, and I obeyed with no hesitation. But He knows how to grow me. He knows that this is one thing I haven't completely turned over to Him. Yet everyday, when I choose my own way over His, I'm preventing myself from experiencing all that He has to offer. More importantly, I'm squelching a chance for Him to be glorified. That's nothing more than inexcusable.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile." Jeremiah 29:11-14

It's been a while..

Yes, yes I know. Almost six months since my last post. A lot has happened since then. I'm trying to get back into this bloggy thing. I'll start back really easy today with some super cute pics done by my super talented photographer friend Amber. We decided to do family pictures with the professional photographer every other year since they are oh so expensive. I asked Amber to shoot a few of my kids this week with the beautiful fall leaves. I've always wanted pictures of them outside in the fall throwing leaves and such. I must say I am not at all disappointed!! She did a fabulous job!! And thanks, Grammy, for the adorable UT outfits. You never disappoint either!

Here are some of my favorites, or go here to see them all.

My other girl

Her name is Hiwot. Pronounced like hey what, emphasis on the the hey. She is a double orphan that lives in the trash dump near Korah, Ethiopia. My family has the privilege of sending her to school this fall and every year until she is eighteen. She will have a roof over her head, a warm bed to sleep in and three meals a day. She will get an education. I can't wait to meet her and tell her that I love her. That she is beautiful. That eyesus yewedeshal (Jesus loves her). I can't wait to send her gifts and some monogrammed stuff. Cause I think all girls should have some monogrammed stuff. I love that Taylor and Jackson will grow up knowing that we have a responsibility to help others; that they will see that in a tangible way. I love that Taylor will color her pictures and cards to send her. This is the only way I can manage to show you her picture:

Tomorrow night at TSC, you can come and learn about how you can make the invisible God visible to an orphan in that dump. There are about 100 kids and we would love for them ALL to be sponsored! You can play a huge part in removing them from complete desperation. We still need many sponsors. We do not want to leave some in the dump and send some to school. They are friends. Imagine if your orphaned child was the one that was left behind..... You don't have to make a commitment just by coming. But please come and listen. See their faces. Don't live in middle TN? Leave me a comment and I will hook you up. I know people.

Check out this video from a team that just returned. These kids need your help!!!

He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord's, and he has set the world in order. 1 Samuel 2:8

A little disturbing

A conversation between Jackson and I this morning on the way to school:

J: You have to obey me Mommy!
Me: No sir. I do not. You obey me.
J: I make the ruwas(rules)! You not obey, I frow you in the hot wava(lava)!

Alrighty then.

Daddy knocked me out!

I am reminded daily how my little girl is growing up so quickly. One milestone this week-she lost her first tooth. It has been loose for 2 weeks. She hit it on her water bottle at school a couple of days ago; and even though it was barely hanging on, refused to let me pull it. So yesterday Dave called me at work to tell me she lost it. I asked how. He said he accidentally knocked her in the mouth with his elbow, thus busting her lip and knocking out the tooth. I guess that's one way to do it.


I had to post this pic to remind myself that they aren't always trying to kill each other! :-)

I just thought this was too cute and wanted to document her sweet heart. We were working on homework the other day and the question was: Write a sentence and tell what you would do if you found a pot of gold. With no prodding on my part, she responded:

I love my sweet girl!

Have You Seen?

I'm sure many of you have seen this; but if you haven't, check it out. How can we claim to be Christians, yet do nothing about the plight of orphans? How can I as a mother do nothing? What if they were my children? Seriously!!

The story of Sam and Esther

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said "Here I am. Send me." Isaiah 6:8

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Exodus 9:16

Faith in Action

This passage of scripture has been on my mind a lot lately:

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words, but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags, and half-starved and say "Good morning friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup-where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?....You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful?
James 2:14-18

Don't get me wrong. I'm not preaching to anyone but myself. I do not want to be described as complacent! I watched a video a couple of days ago from a study I am doing at church that I can't get out of my mind. Here are a few statistics it quoted:

• By this time tomorrow, 6,000 children will be orphaned by AIDS
• 33 million people worldwide are HIV+
• 12 million children in Africa are orphaned by AIDS
• More than 25,000 children under the age of 5 die of preventable causes every day. That's 1 child every 3 seconds.
• The #3 cause of death in children is diarrhea!!

Kay Warren (love her!) spoke about Colossians 1:15 and how we don't have to have a grand plan to help people. Everyday, we have the responsibility to make the invisible God visible! Christ has no body on earth but mine. He wishes to use mine to make him visible.

Here's a little info on Korah, the village outside of Addis where I will be going in June:

About 75 years ago, two doctors requested land to establish a hospital to specifically treat leprosy. The king granted them land far outside the city next to a landfill and people began to immigrate from the countryside to seek treatment. Lepers were considered a curse and thought better off dead. Soldiers were sent out often to beat and slaughter the residents of Korah. Years later, the people began sending their children to the landfill to collect anything edible. This continues today. There are currently about 80,000 residents in the Korah area. You can read more here and learn how to help these forgotten outcasts. You can go here to read about a boy named Sammy who grew up eating from the landfill and has come back to make a difference. We are partnering with him and Great Hope church to change Korah!

Last of all, I thought this was a great video from the Help Korah website. It's a bit long, but worth the time.