Anxiety Is...

Anxiety is the flipside of greed.
Anxiety is the poor mans greed.
Anxiety is to have a divided mind and heart.
Anxiety is misplaced hope.

Do Both

We have also become aware of the staggering numbers of orphans in Africa and around the world. In Ethiopia alone there are 4.3 million orphans, and I believe that last year only around 8000 were adopted. Clearly adoption is not the answer to the world's orphan problem (though a beautiful solution for those who are adopted).

As we processed some of this information, I really questioned whether we should adopt. Adoption is expensive, and the amount of money we were spending on this adoption could feed and educate dozens of orphans in Africa. Maybe we were being selfish. Maybe we should just send our money to Africa for orphan care and give up the idea of adopting. As I agonized over this, I e-mailed a friend and posed the dilemma to her. My wise friend's answer was simple: do both. Adopt, because through adoption God is giving us the opportunity to provide a family for a child, and to pour our hearts into him in the way that only a family can. And...continue to care for and provide for orphans somehow.

Susan
Pure Joy

10 Questions to Ask Yourself for 2009

What’s one thing you could do this year
to increase your enjoy­ment of God?

What’s the most humanly impos­si­ble thing you
will ask God to do this year?

What’s the single most impor­tant thing you could do
to improve the qual­ity of your family life this year?

In which spir­i­tual dis­ci­pline do you most want to make
progress this year,and what will you do about it?

What is the single biggest time-​waster in your life,
and what will you do about it this year?

What is the most help­ful new way you could
strengthen your church?

For whose sal­va­tion will you pray most
fer­vently this year?

What’s the most impor­tant way you will, by God’s grace,
try to make this year dif­fer­ent from last year?

What one thing could you do to improve
your prayer life this year?

What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter
most in ten years? In eternity?

The Dear's

Eternal Significance

What a privilege it is EACH day to be able to pray for our children, for their present and their future - that they will learn his ways, come to know him personally, thrive in their walks and serve him without hindrance all the days of their lives. These are precious days, and what a huge responsibility we’ve been given to make these children disciples of our Lord. We should take advantage of every day to instill God’s love and truth in them. It will surely be of eternal significance and blessing, both for them and for us.

Andy

Spread the Word

Spread the Word – Let the water flow!

This is what sacrificial giving is all about....

With This Ring

An Unexpected Visitor

As I was sitting there feeding Joseph, someone knocked on our door. I had a hungry kid on my hands, but with the dog barking and my inquisitive spirit, I just had to go answer it.

It was a young man, in a dark long coat. I could tell immediately he was a Jehovah's Witness. He was very nice and approachable. Someone I could have a conversation with.

But I didn't.

He asked me a question. I answered. My answer showed I could most likely hold my ground in a theological debate with him if necessary. So, he gave me a piece of literature and moved along quickly.

Why did I let him go? Why didn't I try and talk about our different beliefs?

I felt completely unprepared to strick up a conversation with him and to stand for what I believed and to point out the differences between the two of us. I used to know them, I used to have them down pat. I don’t anymore. How sad.

When I’m faced with a person I could have shared the TRUTH with, I was unprepared…

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2

I get so wound up in my day-to-day life of nursing and bottom wiping I forget that God desires of me to still be prepared for my interactions with people who actually can speak in more than 5 word sentences.

Lord, thank you for this gentle reminder that I need to be prepared in and out of season to share YOUR TRUTH with those who are in the dark and to let YOUR LIGHT shine through me in EVERY interaction I have with others.

I Want

I want to want what God wants.

I want my heart to break over the things that break God's heart.

What's Important

You make time for what's important.

Somewhere Between

"Get your feet wet" means to experience something for the first time.

There is little risk involved.

You are not committing much.

You still have control.

You can back out at any time.

"Jump right in" means to not hold anything back and to give it your all.

There is much risk involved.

You are committing everything.

You have given up control.

You can no longer back out.

I'm somewhere between.

I'm somewhere between the shallow end and deep water faith.

I'm somewhere between who I was and who the Lord is making me.


I want deep water faith.