Thursday, November 29, 2012

Ellie and her pal Doodle

Little girl who loves her Doodle dog a lot! Ellie and Doodle decided to snuggle up this afternoon in the living room, complete with her cupcake blankie and her personal remote (sans batteries)
Happiness is a warm puppy!









No! Not naptime!!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

ORPHAN CARE IS WARFARE
Satan is a thief, a liar, a murderer, and a deceiver. He doesn't want us to do God's mission. He has many schemes for attack. We should expect him to be opposed to what I've mentioned in this chapter. That means that adoption and orphan care requires serious prayer, a reliance on God's power, and a steadfast faith in the promises of God.
You can expect opposition from the inside and the outside. From the outside, you will discover that many people are against you. Just remember there is something deeper going on other than what you see on the surface. Have you ever wondered why it is that there are so many fatherless children in the world? This is a spiritual matter. The world is not as it should be because of the fall. And why is it so hard to adopt? Could it be that there are spiritual forces involved? -from the book "Orphanology" by Tony Merida & Rick Morton

Wow. I haven't blogged since July! I must confess the adoption road hasn't been easy this time around. We've face opposition. We've faced the unknown in regards to fundraising. We've faced some health issues. Satan has figured out where he hadn't hit us, and chipped away at the armor. I've let him. I wallowed in self-pity. I've let anxiety and fear rule. How in the world can we do all this? How can we organize a large fundraiser ourselves with just a small (albeit faithful) group of volunteers? I've looked into the future and wondered if I could keep going, how in the world we would manage all this with TWO toddlers.
And then I thought of Job, and I also thought of Satan. Was he having a similar conversation with God about how he (Satan) knew I would fold like a cheap lawn chair in the face of opposition? Somehow the thought of that conversation actually taking place has fueled me to keep going.
I started reading "Orphanology" today and when I'm not wiping a snotty toddler nose or attending to a sick teenage boy, I am captivated by everything the authors have to say. It's the church's blue print for orphan care. It's the call to Christians to adopt, it is an "awakening to a gospel-centered adoption and orphan care". I am humbled I have been called upon to undertake this task. To be a part of a glorious kingdom.
Matthew 28:20 tells us Jesus will always be with us, no matter what. Even if life isn't always unicorns and rainbows.

Tell me..isn't the video proof enough