devotional Day 2…

I have heard it said that “you can’t STAY where you are and GO with God”…  I contemplated the sentiment of that saying while laying on my belly, toasty warm, buried in my very clean sheets and down comforter.  I like it there…where it is clean and warm…thinking about serving God’s people.  But it is where the “thinking” becomes the “doing” that things get tougher.   No doubt in my mind that we are each called to different work, and a variety of work throughout our lives.  I also know that it is not always work we would have chosen for ourselves.

God created me and prepared work for me in my own home and for my family.  He has created me for his work for friends, our church congregation, and community.  And, much to my surprise, I learned he also created me and prepared work in advance for me in other parts of the world.  Whatever and wherever the work is that he has set before me it is ultimately for his glory.  In order for me to GO with God this time, he had to roust me out of my quite comfortable little nest of comforters and pillows.  In the end, I am so glad that he let it be me!

Ephesians 2:8-10:⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

What has God prepared in advance for you to do?

How has He prepared you?

How have you prepared/are you preparing to accept God’s call?

Last week I was in Ecuador with my oldest son and the rest of the mission team from our church.  It was an amazing, eye opening, wonderful experience.  God took care of every one of my ”me-focused” worries.  I found it to be completely true that as I decreased, He increased.  He used me in ways I couldn’t have foreseen and gave me numerous gifts that I can’t even adequately describe.

We worked in several villages in the Andes Mountains.  Our church and supporters provided funds to build a church in Iltus.  We also led a bible school for the children (and many parents).  Our medical team joined Dr. Manuel and attended to well over 300 people in several villages at 9,000+ feet.

Another mom and I wrote devotionals for the week.  Each day someone from the group would lead us.  We read scripture, sang, prayed, hugged, cried, and got ready for our days together…

I have dug out my notes and have been looking at them again.  It is beneficial to remind myself of these scriptures and questions because I have daily “mission” work that God has prepared for me here at home as well!

Genesis 1:1-2  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.   ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 16:13-14 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.  He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

Day 1 Questions:

Describe your thoughts as we begin building relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ?

How will focusing on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as the firm foundation of your life prepare you for the week?  What aspects of the foundtion of God will you rely on?

How do you plan to share the joy of this foundation with others?

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

(America The Beautiful – verse 3)

Is it possible that laundry can be interesting?

Yes…

…but ONLY when it is hanging on someone eles’s line!!!!

International wash load study:

Dubrovnik, Croatia 2012

Granada, Spain 2008

Dubrovnik, Croatia 2012

Nueva Esperanza, Ecuador 2011

Dubrovnik, Croatia 2012

I plan to frame a couple of these for my laundry room as a reminder that laundry can be interesting!  Although at the moment, I really just need to drag myself in there and do a couple of loads!!

Job 29:14-17

Today is Our Girl’s birthday.  I was really hoping that we would get news today, on her birthday, that the judge gave his official ruling, but no news…at.  all.  Blick!  Have I mentioned how this waiting thing is torture?  And it’s not just like we are waiting for a day on the calendar to arrive; we don’t even know when that day will be.  We could be able to travel in July, but it may be September until we get to squeeze our girl.  Next year, Baby Girl, we’ll celebrate your birthday together!  Just you wait…  And we wait now for the judge to rule that you are ours, something we already feel in our hearts to be true.  I wish we had a photo of Baby Girl on her 4th birthday, just like we have of her brothers and sis:

A5WEB IMG_1774 IMG_2567 signature

Happy birthday Baby Girl! and Happy Mother’s Day to you!

In Virginia, there are hundreds of children in the foster care system who have been legally freed for adoption.  Some of them have been waiting for years.  Some of them are older kids who have been through a lot, and now they need a safe place to call home.  A place where they can be themselves and know that they are loved.  They need a family.  This Saturday there is a rally in Richmond to Change Who Waits.  The goal is to recruit so many families in Virginia that the waiting lists are not for the children waiting for a family, but for the families who want to open their homes and lives to include a child who needs them.  The rally this Saturday is a time to learn about the need and how you can help.  Speakers will include foster parents, adoptive parents, and kids who have been in the system for years.  Our small group at our church has an orphan care mission.  A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure to hear three young adults speak about their experiences in the foster care system here in our area.  I don’t think I can articulate that the inspiration these young people were.  Among the many things that struck me while I listened to them was how much they wanted to reinforce the idea that they were not Foster Kids, they were just kids.  Kids are kids, and they all seek love and acceptance.  A couple of folks from our small group are helping organize this event, and one is even on the list to speak!  We’ll be there, and I can’t wait!  Join us for lunch afterward too if you can!

Friends, these are real kids who are in real need!  Come on Saturday to see how you can help change who waits!

One evening last week I wasn’t even really paying attention to my email.  Neighborhood kiddos were tromping in and out of the house, the ice cream truck was making its agonizingly slow approach to our cul de sac, the grill was heating up, the cat was streaking through the house trying to find a quiet space away from the loud, running littles, Words with Friends was ringing at me to play my word against my nephew, my biggest little was looking for paper on which to print pictures of diamonds for his science project.  I just happened to walk past my laptop and tapped the check mail button.  The happiest BING I had heard in a while: new photos of our girl!  And news that one more step had been made, getting us closer to bringing her home!  The judge has heard our case and should give his official ruling in a couple of weeks.  Here’s a peek for you, little hands I can’t wait to hold.

We were debating whether it was actually easier to get new photos.  It might just make it all the more harder to wait.  She has grown so much since the original photos were taken last November.  Her skirt that was covering her feet is now a couple of inches off the ground.  Her hair has grown and they have put some sort of extensions in.  I imagine they are the clip in kind, but obviously I am not sure.  It’s almost like they dressed her up for her photos.  They were taken three days before we received them.  I wonder if she was told that she is being adopted…  It is pretty surreal knowing that the judge could rule on our case and we may not even hear about it until afterward.  Our Rolling Thunder/Big Red has declared that she does not want to celebrate her birthday until her sister is home.  Hopefully we won’t have to find out if she’s serious.

Do you know the song from which the title of this post comes?  Anyone?  Last summer my dad called and told me that he was flipping through channels.  He has come across a Cure concert.  I turned on the TV.  Ummm…who is that old guy on stage?  That’s not funny.

Happy Wednesday!

The 2nd installment of our tour of the Mediterranean

Our first port:  Katakalon (Ka-TAK-a-lon), Greece.

Katakalon is a true a fishing village about 500 people on the Ionian Sea.  They do roll out the red carpet for tourists though!  Many of the shops on the small main streets are open only when the cruise ships are in port.  This is a fertile area with fairly high rainfall. Olives, oranges, tomatoes, corn and watermelon are grown in large fields and small plots.

About 20 miles from Katakalon are the “ruins” of Olympia.  Beginning shortly after 1,000 BC free male Greeks would gather for a foot race from Kronos Hill to honor Zeus.  These races developed into a 5 day series of games that were held every four years in July.  Some women were allowed to attend the festivities but only on the first and fifth days (the athletes had taken to competing in the buff).

The winners were treated like royalty and were often given houses and relieved of paying taxes.  Anyone caught cheating was, among other things, forced to pay for one of the statues of Zeus that lined the terraced entrance to the stadium.  The statues (each with the offense and the offender’s name inscribed) stood as a reminder to the contestants entering the running stadium.

The Palaestra:

The games were abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in 392 AD due to the pagan roots.  Over time the site was completely buried.  In 1766 the exact location was determined and excavation of ancient Olympia began in 1829.  In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens.

The Ionian Philippeion Memorial:

Acts 20:1-3

This morning I woke up sore.  Six shots in the arm the day before will do that I guess.  Yesterday I got caught up on some booster vaccines and added in some scary sounding ones as well.  At least I could be doing something.  As I said a couple of posts ago, I am terrible at waiting.  I have kind of resigned myself to the fact that I probably won’t be hearing anything about our progress for a few weeks.  So I got some shots.  Another tangible (and slightly obsessive) thing I have been doing is checking the waiting children photo list to see if a matched sign has appeared.  Our girl was a waiting child.  What that means is that she is a pure orphan and has been in an orphanage for a couple of years now.  She’s ready for a family.  So she’s on this particular list.  This morning I clicked on the bookmark, expecting to see the same old thing.  Just her sweet little smile among the other children who are waiting.  But a happy surprise:  a big red MATCHED! sign above her cutie photo!  YAY!  Our dossier made its way to the correct hands and our file is now officially merged with hers!  Commence happy dance!