Directions-Why don't we have on star for every day life???? Oh I guess we do we just have to listen.

Swaziland Africa 

Habakkuk 2:19


Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.




Direction as defined by Merriam-Webster

: the line or course on which something is moving or is aimed to move or along which something is pointing or facing .

 : a guiding, governing, or motivating purpose

Let us contemplate for just a moment the true definitions of direction.  The line or course on which something is moving or aimed.  It  doesn't say our end destination.  Why are we so focused on the end of our route.  The time and space of the in between journey matter, the space between the starting dot and the ending dot.  The next  part of the definition a guiding, governing, or motivating purpose.  We have the motivating purpose but why is it so difficult  to get from point A  to point B.  Reaching the "half way point" of life this year reminds me that time flies by and I must not let even one day  go by without being intentional in everything.  I never want to waste time again on the unimportant.  I don't know if everyone has a said life list, but I need to get going to accomplish what is on the list and  more.  Of course with time the list has changed and been added to.   Some times God adds to our list which should ultimately be his list.  On my "own" list travel  to China.  I started to love China at 15 years of age and I traveled at 38 years of age.  Not on my "own" list INDIA.  Well now India is forever in my heart.  God placed India on the list and I look forward to traveling there for the 3rd time in the new year.  One thing that I have  learned from moving soooo much is that life does not always follow our projected direction of travel.  Did I ever mention how many times Brent and I have moved in 18 years?  Take a guess.......I had to take a break to count only 9 times and many to different towns.  Not as many as it feels like.  Along the way we have met great people and made good friends, but always to leave.  The good news is that with the Heavenly Good News we will meet up with many on heavens side.  Not forgotten and not gone forever, just waiting to meet up later.  To make a long story short for the next 40 years I want to have so many memories and adventures that I won't even be able to remember them all, too many to count. On the list, travel to  Swaziland Africa the nation one of the most aids affected nations on the earth 25% of  people in country are living with the virus. We cannot turn away from  those most in need.  Let the praise, glory, and honor be to our Father in Heaven.



Philippians 1:20


I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.


If you want to help or learn  more about Swaziland visit: http://www.hopechest.org/  or http://blog.beliefnet.com/redletters/ .  Tom Davis is the  CEO of Childre's Hope Chest and author of many life changing books."Red Letters, Fields of the Fatherless, Sacred, and Priceless".  He loves the orphan and helps churchs come together to help the orphan, widow, and fatherless.

Sacrifice..........October 25, 2010 Do we ever????

Yesterday at church we heard about sacrifice, but do we really ever sacrifice anything?  I think that we are always so caught up in our wants and needs that we always have an ulterior motive.  We humans are just so human.  Thinking back to 2007 when we first saw our little Sneha's picture on http://www.reecesrainbow.org/.   We knew God was calling us to this little girl across the world.  We thought the battle to bring her home was difficult, but I am so glad it was and it somewhat prepared us for the battles in raising a special needs older child.  We will never know what she has been  through in the past.  When a child is mainly non-verbal convention  parenting goes out  the window.  I remember before  my first trip to go meet  Sneha  I talked  with someone  who had met her and her observations were crushing to my heart.  I knew that God chose her for us, but she will never  be independent.  The lady that met her said she will never be able to sit down and read a novel.   I cried tears over our possible losses, not over her losses.  Crying over sadness for ourselves for the commitment and the long road ahead.  I cried for her misfortune, sickness, and tremendous sadness.   I thank our Father in Heaven for pushing us along the path to India.  People have said to me, "I could never do what you do."  Honestly with out Jesus guiding my every step I cannot do what I have to do.  I have never  had to try to  teach someone that doesn't want to learn  or try.   I think so much sadness and loss breaks a person so that they will give up.  I am so glad that God has the ultimate plan for success for Sneha.   Somedays we go two step forward, but the next day it may be five backwards. We need to follow the path and the results are left to God, not us.  We need to be patient and give her time to learn in her own time. She is home with a forever family and now there is no rush.  We are thankful that our fears of the unknown did not consume us and that God did not give up on urging and reminding us about the lonely, sickly, nonverbal child tucked away in an orphanage across the world.  She is so worth it!


Psalm 119:105
 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Thankful thursday October 21, 2010

 Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything


1 There is a time for everything,


and a season for every activity under heaven:


2 a time to be born and a time to die,


a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,


a time to tear down and a time to build,


4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,


a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,


a time to embrace and a time to refrain,


6 a time to search and a time to give up,


a time to keep and a time to throw away,


7 a time to tear and a time to mend,


a time to be silent and a time to speak,


8 a time to love and a time to hate,


a time for war and a time for peace

I am thankful for such a great  brother and his family.  I really wish that they lived closer,but I don't  know if I lived  in a vacation paradise 24/7 if I could move away.  We were just so glad that could visit in August. 

Family that had never met our two new additions.  We were so glad to finally meet their little doll.  Time flies by way too fast.  A time for everything..........

The best brother in the world

 Such a cute face dear niece

 Cousins not by blood, but so alike

 The girl that could climb and out hike adults at 4 years old

 My Elise

 A wonderful sister-in law that we miss so much.

 All children need  to be part of a family, what is life without family??

Lord keep my eyes open and focused October 19, 2010

WAITING FOR ORPHAN TRAINS

UNITED  STATES ORPHANAGE

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.
Mother Teresa


The concept of the orphan  has changed here in the US.  There are still orphans  just without the orphanage, living in homes where parents are paid to care for them.  On http://www.adoptuskids.org/, the website  features children in the foster care system waiting for forever families. There are 14,520 children waiting today because of abuse, neglect, and an array of medical and psycological labels placed  on them to define their behavior.  When they age out of the system where  do they go for holiday dinners?  Who comes to their side when they have surgery, is anyone in the waiting room?  I do suppose that we all  have labels if evaluated long enough.  How would I act if my parents did drugs in front of me and smacked me when I asked  for  a snack.  Could I possibly behave in class and pretend everything is ok?  I would be marched to the behavior specialist and asked why I act the way I do?????  Just a few thoughts for today.

Thankful Thursday...........October 14, 2010

Revelation7:17                                                                                                                                                         

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be

their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

  

"One of the greatest diseases is  to nobody to anybody."  Mother Teresa

"If you can't feed one hundred people then feed  just one."  Mother Teresa

Almost 18 years..............Happy Day

 From Montana

 Across the world to KunMing,Yunnan China

 To behold the beauty a world away

 On our journey of a life time

 Together in Hong Kong

 The majesty of Hong Kong

From the lows to the highs he has been there for us.   Always thoughtful and true, the husband that I love so dearly and appreciate.  Without him my dreams could not have  come true.  I just wish that he could fulfill his true potential serving others.  How can such a wonderful man be  so trapped day in and day out.  He has given up so much to put the needs of others first.  Please Lord rescue my best friend,  he needs peace and happiness.  I am so thankful for our years and time together.

Psalm 108:4 (New International Version
 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

We are thankful for America and our freedom

Psalm74:16-17  Both day and night belong to you; you  made the starlight and the sun.  You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter.                                                               

My kids are growing up and I especially see it with Graedy.  My prayer  for my children is that they learn to love others more than themselves.  I hope they grow up and dive into life full of purpose.  Life is more than chasing the material dreams.  We are commanded to care for the orphan and the poor.  I already have them thinking of where they want to go for a mission trip as teenagers.  I wish my eyes would have been opened at a young age.  I would have made different and better choices.  I hope they see that sacrifice is not a bad word, it is important to make a difference.  We should not be so concerned with their comfort, but the state of their hearts.  Do they care about what happens to  others in the world around them?     Does giving our children every desire of their heart really benefit or harm them.  I would have to argue that we are to teach patience and perseverance before fulfilling every desire and whim.  This is definitely not the easy road, but hopefully the road to life long contentment and satisfaction.                                                  

This is rural football

 Graedy is #65

 The cow in the background

 American the beautiful

 My Graedy

Such a kind hearted soul

Matthew 19:14 (New International Version)

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these

A doggy dog day and happy Friday!