A Long Obedience...

Lady Bug on its back

2012-01-02T12:03:00.005-05:00

Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

Our house is a haven to Lady Bugs. At least they think so. They are everywhere- the ceiling, the lamps, the tables, and my pillow. I have found out a thing or two about these beetles. First, they aren't even from here. The ones in my house are decendants of some beetles brought here from Asia decades ago. Second, they bite. Well, not technically- they pinch, but it felt like a bite to me. Thirdly, they smell bad when you scare them, really! (Yes, I did look them up on Wiki!) And then last but most importantly, when they get on their backs, they can't turn over on their own. That's the thing I identify with the most. They can't get turned over. They lay there wiggling their feet in the air hoping against hope that somehow someway they will magically flip back over and be on their way. (and yes, I am just weird enough that despite their stink and bite, I turn them back over when they are in distress)

I am so like these guys in all ways- I bite (no pinching for me) and I stink. I get so caught up in myself that I lay flipped over waving my arms and legs in the air hoping for an impossible rescue. Why do I let it get so bad before I look for the Only One who can turn me back to my feet. Who can turn me in the right direction. Who will give me His grace and peace to keep me from biting and stinking?!

Now, when I see those guys I think about the One who made them- and me- and how He is my rescuer. How I can call on Him and He will set me straight.

Maybe when you see them on your ceiling you will remember that too- oh, and don't forget to give them a hand and flip them over!

The gift that keeps on Giving

2011-12-20T11:42:00.007-05:00

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

-- Proverbs 31:8-9

Looking for a gift that will go on giving after Christmas? How about a gift that you give, but that you receive a HUGE blessing for? Want to help little children have enough to eat, have good health care, and most importantly hear the gospel?
Then I have the a gift for you!

Sponsor a child through Compassion International!! $38 a month provides a child with good food and water, health care, educational help, and a chance to learn about Jesus. You can't beat it!

I am so excited to have become a Child Advocate for Compassion. In my role, I get to advocate for those who can't! For the little ones who need food. For those who need good health care. For those who don't know Jesus.

Our family has a wonderful time praying for our Compassion children. We write them letters and they write back. We learn about where they live and what they face each day. It is such a blessing!! Sheyla lives in Mexico and we have been praying for her because her Grandmother died. We have a strong connection to her, and we have come to love her.

So, here's your biggest question- How do you know that the money gets to the kids?
Last year over 82% of donations went straight to the kids! Wes Stafford, the CEO, of CI is one of the lowest paid CEO's of non-profits. I know, I checked. You can check too- go take a look at their financial integrity at Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org/

CI earned 5 stars from Charity Navigator.

One of my favorite reasons to help care for children through Compassion International is that they give the money to the local church to help out in their own community. That is so great! The credit goes to the local church. The reputation of the local church and of Jesus is strengthened through this arrangement. The church is there- they are doing the work- they can be skin on to those around them. Having been a missionary, I know that this is so important. We would have mission groups come from somewhere else, and their help was very valuable, but at the end of the week, it was our church that was still there.

I have 2 children who need sponsors right now! They need to be sponsored by January 6! One of them has been waiting for over 7 months for a sponsor. Will you partner with us to sponsor one of them? Let me know and I will fix you up!

Bedo lives in Ethiopia and is 6 years old. He's been waiting for 7 months to be sponsored!

Darianny lives in the Dominican Republic and is 7 years old. She lives with her grandmother.

You can also follow the link below and look for a child to sponsor in any area that God may have placed on your heart.

If you don't want to commit to a monthly gift- there are many ways you can give this Christmas to help those in need. Follow the link below and click on Gift Catalog at the top- you can give animals, clean water, blankets, medical care and so much more through your one time gift!

http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm?referer=122338

What Defines You?

2011-12-08T08:24:00.003-05:00

Being made in the image of Christ- not in the image of the circumstances of our life.

So, what defines you? When people are asked about you, what do they say? She's bitter and angry or sweet and gentle? So many of us have allowed the circumstances of our lives to shape who we are. We believe that we deserve to be angry, or bitter, or sullen because of the things that have happened to us along the way. We become clothed in those feelings and people begin to only see us as that mean old lady! They walk a wide berth around us when they see us coming.

I have had my share of "events", some good and some bad. Roger and I were married on the day after my 21st birthday- he was still 20, and since we have been together we have lost all of our grandparents, his Dad, been through the divorce of both sets of parents and the remarriage of 3 of them, we have been hired and "moved along" from jobs, we have had plenty and we have not had plenty, had 4 children and lost 3 to miscarriage, and that's not counting the smaller and less important trials! (But who's counting?!)

There have been many days when I have allowed my circumstances to shape my feelings and define my life. Many seasons where I was a bitter, angry woman. I have lost so much during those times. Love and joy, peace and even kindness were lost to me as I focused on the bad and not Jesus. I lost the ability to do good to those around me. But most importantly I lost the chance to be shaped into the image of my beautiful Jesus who meant all of those things for my good.

Romans 8:28 says "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Those things in my life were meant for my sanctification- my drawing on His strength and for developing good and Godly behaviors in my life. They were to bring me close to Him. To be clothed in His righteousness and not my own. To help me to know a better path the next time. James 1 says to

" ² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." ESV

I want to be known as loving and kind. As someone who has used their experience to develop a sweet and abiding love for those around me. I want to be clothed in His righteousness and love so that when others look at me, they only see Him. To be defined by whose I am and not what has happened to me. To show the gospel with my life.

Where I have been...and where I am going.

2011-11-17T22:00:00.004-05:00

So...where have I been. You are probably not even wondering, but I feel I owe an explanation to the at least one person who might read my blog. (Other than me, that is!)

It is so difficult to put into words the things God has been showing and teaching me in the past several months. I can only describe it as being turned completely up side down. Nothing looks the same. Nothing feels the same. He has rocked my world- in a hard but good way.

So what has happened in our adoption process? We have been very sure of our call to do something about the Orphan Crisis. Not just lip service, but really do something. We were pretty sure that meant opening up our home and taking as many children as God would send our way. Enter rules and regulations. Doors shut in many places by the fact that:

1. We already have 4 children.

2. We wanted to adopt older children between our youngest who is 2 and the next one up who is 10. Most agencies won't allow you to adopt out of birth order.

3. AND THE BIGGY- I don't use birth control and could get pregnant at any time. Becoming pregnant would immediately shut down any process we would have already started until the baby was one.

4. I did get pregnant and then miscarried. So, we stopped the process. Miscarriage is not an easy thing, and this has made 2 in the past year.

Many doors shut. Many dreams shattered. A window opened a crack showing a glimpse of the Savior.

In light of so many road blocks, we began to question God on what our role should be in the Orphan crisis. For now, we believe we are called (and that we all are called) to be advocates for the fatherless and those who are living in abject poverty. (More on that later)

So, this calling leads in to the rocking the world part. The part where everything I have ever known and every way that I have lived is upside down. We took a long hard look at how our resources are allocated and realized that we have been living for our own comfort and not for His glory. That we have not been making much of Him in our financial life. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like we were off taking vacations in Hawaii every month or anything, but we came to realize that the bit that He has given us can be used in such a better way. So, we sold some land. We sold a truck. We sold a bunch of stuff (I rock Ebay)! And now we are prayerful about selling our house and downsizing.

So, if you will stick with me, I will take you on this journey we have begun. A journey to discover Him in a way that we never did before. Looking for ways to be "bent low" as Katie Davis says. For ways to make much of Him in every aspect of our life. To live authentic, sold out, gospel sharing lives for Him. I have some things to tell you about, so stay tuned!

Mission Trip

2011-07-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

We are having a wonderful time on the road.

We first visited Boyce College in Louisville, Ky with Bennett. This college is the undergraduate school for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Wonderful school, professors, and doctrine. We had a great time talking with people there and exploring the area. We attended Highview Baptist Church on Sunday and got to hear Dr. Russ Moore preach. Great visit!

Next, we have moved on to Lexington, KY for a mission trip. We are helping out at an associational day camp for kids. We are teaching them a musical that they will perform tomorrow night. Emmie is the only "pale" face on the stage. We have also been able to help out at two "soup kitchens". 802 bags of food were handed out tonight. This morning we assembled back packs for 42 kids.

Looking forward to spending time visiting with family and friends next week and then home to IL!

Why would a family with four kids want another child... part 2.

2011-07-24T16:59:00.005-05:00

There are 143,000,000 orphans in the world

• There are an additional 20,000,000 “displaced children” in the world
• The combined count of these categories makes the orphan
population the 7th largest nation on the planet – slightly larger than
the population of Russia
• In Eastern Europe, less than 50% of the orphan population will live
to see their 20th birthdays
• In Eastern Europe, of the orphans that survive their 20th birthdays,
50% will end up in organized crime, drugs, or prostitution
• In Africa, homeless children are armed and used for war
• In Africa, there is a concerted effort to extend children’s lives
beyond 5 years of age
• In the US, 25,000 children will leave the foster care system without
families
• 25% of these foster children become homeless,
• 56% of these emancipated foster care children enter the
unemployment ranks
• 27% of the emancipated male children in foster care end up in jail
• 30% of the emancipated females in foster care experience early
parenthood
• 30,000 children in foster care are simply dropped from state care
because they have run away
• In the US, most young adults ages 18 – 24 still live at home with
their parents, while approximately 25,000 children are annually
released at age 18 from the foster care system without families to
support them.”

There are so many. We want to share the blessings that God has given us with one of these children. To make a difference in their life, and in the lives of their children, and grandchildren...

Please help us raise the money to start our home study. Every day we spend raising funds is one more day a child remains an orphan.

Check out our fundraiser here

or press the donate button to the right.

Thanks!

Win-Win!

2011-07-18T16:15:00.005-05:00

So, this is officially the first time that I beg for money! I hate asking for anything for myself, but this is not for me- it's for a child. So, please help us raise enough money to bring one home.

It's a WIN-WIN!! You make a donation- you get a chance to win! And everybody wins BIG in this fundraiser!!! That's because the prize is a Magazine Bead Necklace from 147 Million Orphans!! YAY!! I am so excited about this. We first heard about the necklaces when we read The Journey- Katie Davis' blog. She is amazing!! Please take a minute and read about her ministry in Uganda at Amazima!! These necklaces are made by women in Uganda-

From the Amazima website: "In the slum community of Masese, while many Ugandans desperately want to work, there are simply no jobs. Unsanitary living conditions, malnutrition, disease, and hopelessness swallow their dreams for their family.

To empower women and give hope, Amazima initiated a self-sustaining vocational program for mothers in the Masese community by creating handmade, unique, Ugandan magazine necklaces. Each woman in the program makes beautiful necklaces (a lengthy process), which are sold in the United States. Because of their new jobs, these women have been able to turn away from work that was harmful and dangerous for themselves and their families such as prostitution, alcohol brewing, and trash picking. Women in this program also receive money management training and spiritual discipleship. Your support of Amazima's vocational programs builds entrepreneurship, restores dignity, and empowers the Ugandan people to work their own way out of poverty."

From the 147 Millions Orphans website- "We are proud to donate to Amazima Ministries and the wonderful women of the Karamojong tribe. The Karamojong women create these beautiful necklaces by hand and from re-cycled paper … Our goal is to help these women maintain sustainable income for their families … We will be purchasing these necklaces from them and also sending 50%+ of the profits back to a feeding program run by Katie Davis. It is a beautiful full circle story of the body of Christ." "

WOW! So, not only does your donation help us bring our child home, you are sending money back to the women in Uganda, AND you get a beautiful necklace to wear, AND when you wear it, people will ask and you can tell them the story!
I think that makes this a QUADRUPLE WIN!!!

So for every $10 you donate, you get a chance to win! That means that the more $10's you donate, the more chances you will win!! So- click on the donate button to the right. Your donation will be secure through Paypal! This fundraiser be open for a week or so- so act now!!

Thanks so much!!

Adoption lesson #16

2011-07-18T16:12:00.001-05:00

Words cannot describe the feeling that you get when you open your email and someone has made a donation to help you bring your child home- humility is the closest word I can think of. (Weepy is the emotion.)

Update

2011-07-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

Several of you have asked we where are in the process, so I wanted to give you an update. We have seen a child on Reece's Rainbow that we are praying about, and we will begin our homestudy in the next several weeks. We are currently raising funds for the homestudy (see our meter at the side), and we will be offering some fundraisers soon to help with that. So that is where we are! And for those of you who want to know the big question- where? We are feeling led to a certain Eastern European country! That's all I can say!!

Guest Post by my friend Amy

2011-07-16T09:22:00.002-05:00

Please take a minute and read this post by my friend Amy. She and her husband, Jon, have just returned from Ukraine with their daughter Vera Beth. This is a great picture of what it's like in the "best" orphanages:

I've been dreading writing this post. But it must be said.

I've come to the ironic conclusion that children do not belong in orphanages.

Duh!

Children belong with families...mommies and daddies and maybe a sibling or two...or three...or four...or sometimes more or sometimes none. But they definitely belong with mommies and daddies. Nannies and caregivers are just that. Nannies and caregivers don't say, "I love you." Nannies and caregivers don't give hugs. They don't comfort when a child is hurt. Most nannies and caregivers (that we've seen) do their best, but when you're responsible for 11 - 15 kids at one time, there's only so much you can do.

Sigh.

I am so thankful for all the time we've been able to spend with Vera here and that we've had a glimpse into her life over the past 6 years. We love this girl DEARLY and she is an Evans for sure. When I stop to ponder how perfect she is for our family...well, it makes me weepy. When I stop to ponder how much you all will adore her...well, it makes tears fall down my cheeks. You will all love her bunches. She has already brought so much joy to Jon and I and I know she will bring even more to our whole family and each of you once we get her home where she belongs. I know I've said it before, but Vera is a treasure. Our treasure. We have 3 amazing kids at home and now we're adding one more to the mix. Why are we so blessed? I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Vera doesn't cry when she's hurt. Have I told you that? She's had a few injuries during our visits...she's been bonked in the eye (and it swelled up a bit) and knocked in the head by a wooden swing. She's fallen countless times...several were 'big' falls and I was prepared for tears. Nope. She has never cried. Her eyes teared up a few of those times, but the tears never fell. She would wipe them away and move on. We have seen how the children in her group are comforted, and I use that word loosely, when they're hurt. It's minimal. Sometimes it's just words across the playground. Sometimes it's by pinching the child's cheeks...like that's what you want if you're hurt. Every now and then a crying child will be placed next to a caregiver. I have yet to see a child hugged or held. I have yet to see a child sit in someone's lap. It's weird to say, but I'm looking forward to Vera's first injury that causes her to cry and seek comfort from Jon or I.

Vera doesn't know how to seek comfort or be comforted.

She doesn't know how to be held, but she's learning.

She doesn't know how to hug or be hugged, but she's learning.

She's 6. She should have hugging down by now.

Sigh.

Children do not belong in orphanages.

I have yet to see a child in Vera's group play with a toy. Her room is FULL of great books and toys. They have been in the exact same positions on the shelves since our first day here. I don't know why, but I took a mental photo that day. Nothing has moved. No toy has been played with. No book has been read. WHY?

Jon and I were commenting a few days ago that the only times we have seen Vera's group actually play is when they're on the little fenced in playground. And they only go to the little playground when a certain caregiver is there. One of Vera's (and ours) favorite people. She was gone for a week. Vera's group was not on the playground that whole, entire week. Do you know what we've seen them do instead of play?

They sit. They walk.

The group comes outside every day if it's not raining. We've seen them sit, for over an hour (sometimes our whole 2 hour visit), with no toys. They just sit in the shade on blankets or on benches. They sit and stare at the world around them. It seems so cruel to me. They're children. They're 2, 3 and 4 year olds. They should be running and squealing and playing tag. The boys should be pretending all the sticks around them are swords. They should be playing with balls and trucks and dolls. They should be smelling all the beautiful flowers around them and eating the ripening cherries off the trees.

Sometimes, instead of sitting, they walk. One day they did 3 slow loops around the grounds. About every 30 minutes, Vera's group would pass us. Vera would be playing in the sand or eating berries off a tree and here would come her group. 12 or so kids ages 2 to 4. Walking in circles. Never veering off the cement path. Never exploring all the awesome trees and flowers on the grounds. Never going down the slide or teeter-tottering or playing in the sand. Never running. I haven't seen any of these children run.

They sit.

And they walk.

One day we picked Vera up from her room and the kids were sitting all lined up in their little wooden chairs watching a soap opera. It may have been in Russian, but a soap opera is a soap opera no matter what country you're in. When we returned Vera over 2 hours later, her group was still sitting there in the same wooden chairs watching TV.

Another day when we arrived for our visit, no one was is in the big room, but we could hear the caregivers' voices. I ventured in and got a peek into the other room, the one I thought was their bedroom. I didn't see any beds, but there were a few little couches. The kids were all sitting on the little couches. Just sitting. The children were not talking...just sitting and staring.

I got to have lunch with Vera on Friday. Well, I got to go into her room during lunch and watch Vera eat with her group.

I cried on the way home.

Children do not belong in orphanages.

They started with borscht and bread.

See the darling one next to Vera with the pony tail on top of her head? That's 'Lisa.' She's the one who wanted me to pick her up when we first met Vera. She's the one who snuggled up next to Jon and patted his arm. She's the one who wraps herself around my legs every chance she gets. She's the one who will be on our hearts and minds when we leave here. I don't know 'Lisa's' story. I don't even know if she's adoptable. But she's the one. Jon and I discussed it and neither of us believe that Lisa is ours...but she is somebody's. Could she be yours?

See the beautiful girl on the right (below)? That's 'Nice Girl.' I don't know her story either, but I do think she's had visitors. One day while we were waiting for Vera (the kids are usually in tank tops and underwear, but sometimes they put a dress on Vera for our visits), I peeked in each and every locker in Vera's group. I wanted to cry. 10 of these children only have hats and shoes. And really, those hats and shoes belong to the orphanage. 10 of these children have nothing. Nothing to call their own. The 3 that had other things in their lockers were Vera (who has had several visitors), 'Allie' who we've seen several times with who we assume is her father, and Nice Girl, who must have had a visitor because she has a purse and a few other things in her locker.
Anyway, lunch was interesting. This (below) was the only time I could get Vera to look at me. I kept trying to talk to her, but she was very intent on her lunch. I think I figured out why. It was eerily quiet. There was no talking except the caregivers telling a little one to be careful (I assume). 13 kids, ages 2 - 4, and not one of them spoke a word during lunch. The only sound was the silverware clanking against the bowls and plates. I've taught pre-school and I remember what lunch with 15 three-year-olds was like. It was not like this.
Lisa and Nice Girl paid me a lot of attention. Aren't they just precious? After the soup bowls were taken away, the children were given plates with potatoes, green onions and another piece of bread. They wasted no time in digging in. Vera was taking such huge bites I kept telling her to slow down or she would choke. The others ate the same way. Quickly and with huge bites that were barely chewed before they swallowed. Vera finished her food and a caregiver started walking towards our table. Nice Girl started shoveling food into her mouth. I didn't realize what was going on until the caregiver reached for Nice Girl's plate. She was almost done and was still shoveling bites in as fast as she could. And away went her plate. Nice Girl wasn't done. She would've finished her food. Her eyes teared up as her plate was taken away with a few bites still on it. She wasn't done. She wanted to finish her lunch. Her mouth was so full from shoveling in those last bites that she could hardly chew.
Obviously these kids aren't starving. I have not seen one child here that looks malnourished in any way. For this, I am so thankful. So many people have told us that this is one of the nicest orphanages in Ukraine. I don't doubt that at all. It was just heartbreaking to watch the caregivers shove HUGE bites of food into little 2 year old mouths who hardly got to chew and swallow before the next huge bite of food was shoved into their mouths. What is the rush?

I don't understand this place. These children do not belong here. Why are they here? Where are their parents? Why have we let the orphan crisis become a crisis? These children need families. These children need to PLAY. These children need someone to hug them every day and tell them they are LOVED. The only sense I can make of their smiles that come so easily is that God watches over and upholds the fatherless.

This past week was hard for me. I cried a lot and had a good ole pity party. Was I crying because I miss my kids at home? ABSOLUTELY! I literally ache to hug my 3 oldest children at home. I knew being away for this long would be hard, but I had no idea it was going to be like this. And really, the first 3 weeks, though long, went pretty quickly. I missed the kids, but not like I have this week. But that's not the only reason for all the tears this week. I have cried for 'Lisa' and Nice Girl and so many other children that we've seen every day. So many other children that call us Mama and Papa. So many other children who need someone to come get them. So many other children living each day without hugs and 'I love you's.' So many children...

Children do not belong in orphanages.

I will leave you with Dueteronomy 10: 12 - 21. This passage has been such a comfort to me as I have sojourned in a land that is not my own.

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen."

Roger's Newsletter Article

2011-07-14T07:41:00.000-05:00

Adopting For The Gospel

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Galatians 4:4-6

I was going to write an article this month on what I learned on my trip to Canada. And perhaps I will write that one soon. It certainly was an eye-opening visit and I wholeheartedly believe that God is calling Clear Creek to adopt southwestern Ontario as a mission field and to begin a church planting movement there [please see last month’s Ripple for an overview of this opportunity]. I would write this month on adopting this area for the gospel, but God is doing something in my family that is even more significant for us and may be for you. He has called our family to adopt a child or children for the gospel.

The need for adoption is profound: in the United States alone, more than 500,000 children were in foster care system in 2005, the last year for which federal statistics were available. About 115,000 were waiting for adoption. Around the world, there are an estimated 145 million orphans who need a home and family. But for us this is not about social justice, nor is it about our need to fill a void in our lives by having more children. Trust me, with four kids running around my house, there is no void! We are blessed and treasure our kids as a heritage and gift from God (Psalm 127:3) but we do not feel a need to have more. But like many Christian families, we are beginning to understand the significance of the doctrine of adoption. God has adopted us, grafting us into His family. And so for the sake of the gospel and the magnification of God, we want to respond in joyful obedience to his call to adoption.

We are, of course, not alone in this. Many of you have already responded to God’s call and adopted children of your own. And there is definitely something happening right now among the people of God, a movement of adoption for the gospel as a recent article on SBC.net shows:

“Something is afoot among Christian families and churches of virtually every kind,” says Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who wrote a resolution on adoption that was unanimously passed at the 2009 Southern Baptist Convention. “God is calling the people of Christ to see the face of Jesus in the faces of orphans in North America and around the world. Southern Baptists have affirmed our belief in the authority of Scripture, and the Bible tells us pure religion is defined by care for the fatherless.

“We’ve been defined by our commitment to evangelism, and there is no greater field as `white unto harvest’ right now as children in orphanages, group homes, and the foster care system, children who don’t know a parent’s love and who don’t know the name of Jesus. When Satan wars against children, we should be the ones who have compassion on them, even as Jesus did and does.

During the introduction of the resolution, Moore appeared on stage with Timothy and Benjamin, the sons he and his wife adopted seven years ago. More than 8,000 messengers met the resolution and its unanimous passage with lengthy, enthusiastic applause. “I was overwhelmed with emotion on the platform to see my sons, two little ex-orphans, looking out on a sea of yellow ballots as thousands of Southern Baptists affirmed that we want to be the people who love fatherless children,” he said.

“I realized that, in an alternative story, my boys would still be in an orphanage, not knowing even the name of Christ Jesus. But here they are, at the Southern Baptist Convention, calling by their very presence the world’s largest Protestant denomination to recognize there are hundreds of thousands of children as helpless and alone as they once were.

“My prayer is that twenty years from now there are thousands of Southern Baptist pastors, missionaries, and church leaders who started their lives as orphans, now preaching the gospel of God their Father.”

Caroline and I and our children rejoice that God might allow us to show forth His glory in this way and so we are pursuing adoption. We are early in this, and have not yet been matched with a child. The process is long and expensive and heartbreaking. And so we would appreciate your prayers.

As you may have heard me say before, everything is doctrinal. When we got married 20 years ago, I began to better understand Christ’s love for His bride, the church. When I became a dad, I began to understand what it meant for God to so love the world that He sent his only begotten son. And now as we begin this new chapter in our lives, I find myself looking in wonder at the doctrine of adoption. The more I see of God and the truth of His word, the more I am amazed at His grace poured out for me. May we respond to His faithfulness with our obedience, for His gospel and glory.

Resolution On Adoption And Orphan Care
Southern Baptist Convention, June 2009

WHEREAS, In the gospel we have received the "Spirit of adoption" whereby we are no longer spiritual orphans but are now beloved children of God and joint heirs with Christ (John 14:18; Romans 8:12-25; Galatians 3:27-4:9; Ephesians 1:5); and

WHEREAS, The God we now know as our Father reveals himself as a "father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5) who grants mercy to orphans (Deuteronomy 10:18; Hosea 14:3); and

WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus welcomes the little ones (Luke 18:15-17), pleads for the lives of the innocent (Psalm 72:12-14), and shows us that we will be held accountable for our response to "the least of these brothers of mine" (Matthew 25:40); and

WHEREAS, The Scripture defines "pure and undefiled religion" as "to look after orphans and widows in their distress" (James 1:27); and

WHEREAS, The satanic powers and the ravages of sin have warred against infants and children from Pharaoh to Molech to Herod and, now, through the horrors of a divorce culture, an abortion industry, and the global plagues of disease, starvation, and warfare; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have articulated an unequivocal commitment to the sanctity of all human life, born and unborn; and

WHEREAS, Churches defined by the Great Commission must be concerned for the evangelism of children—including those who have no parents; and

WHEREAS, Upward of 150 million orphans now languish without families in orphanages, group homes, and placement systems in North America and around the world; and

WHEREAS, Our Father loves all of these children, and a great multitude of them will never otherwise hear the gospel of Jesus Christ; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23-24, 2009, express our commitment to join our Father in seeking mercy for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on each Southern Baptist family to pray for guidance as to whether God is calling them to adopt or foster a child or children; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage our pastors and church leaders to preach and teach on God's concern for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend churches and ministries that are equipping families to provide financial and other resources to those called to adopt, through grants, matching funds, or loans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage local churches to champion the evangelism of and ministry to orphans around the world, and to seek out ways to energize Southern Baptists behind this mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptist churches to join with other evangelical Christians in setting aside a special Sunday each year to focus upon our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we pray what God is doing in creating an adoption culture in so many churches and families can point us to a gospel oneness that is determined not by “the flesh,” or race, or economics, or cultural sameness, but by the Spirit, unity, and peace in Christ Jesus; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we pray for an outpouring of God's Spirit on Southern Baptist congregations so that our churches will proclaim and picture, in word and in deed, that “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.”

Why would a family with 4 children want another one? Part 1

2011-07-11T09:14:00.007-05:00

The gospel.

Because of the gospel, and for the gospel. Plain and simple.

For the sake of His glory.

Because we were once orphans, and He came for us.

Because the gospel points to caring for the orphan and caring for the orphan points to the gospel (russ moore).

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

What is the Gospel? The word gospel simply means “good news.” The central message of the Bible is the gospel, or good news, about the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Paul provides the most succinct summary of the gospel: "¹Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ²and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ diedfor our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,"

Why adopt?

Because He first loved us. Because He tells us to.

^{1 John 3: 16-18 16}By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

"What matters is not that we do all we might have done or all we dreamed of doing, but that, while we live, we live by faith in future grace and walk in the path of love. The times are in God’s hands, not ours. " John Piper

Virtual Garage Sale

2011-07-07T22:47:00.010-05:00

So.... it's 90 something degrees outside and WAY too hot for an outdoor garage sale so join us for a virtual sale from the comfort of your own air conditioning! All proceeds will benefit our adoption fund. We are raising money now for our home study. Happy shopping! Call Roger at 618-614-3480 or Caroline at 618-614-3481 or email us at ecferrell@yahoo.com.

5 +/- acres $35,000

12 x 20 portable storage barn $2200 obo

Wet/Dry Shop Vac $25

GX31 Honda 4 Stroke Tiller/Edger $125

Generac SE5000 Portable Generator $200

Water Tank $75

Palatino Violin Outfit VN 350 4x4 $75

Wedgwood Strawberry and Vine Teacups and Saucers $12 each or $40 for all

Anton Breton 1/2 size violin $65

Peavey Vypyr Guitar Amp $75

Fender Stratocaster Mexican Sunburst Electric Guitar with gig bag $350 SOLD

Ibanez GSR 200 Electric Bass Guitar $150

Cowgirls Baby/Toddler quilt (handmade by me) $30

Vintage looking apron (handmade by me) $20

Colorful Flannel Baby blanket (handmade by me) $15

Wool felted (soft) baby booties 9-12 mo (handmade by me) $15

Wool felted (soft) baby booties 9-12 mo (handmade by me) $15

NO PICTURE
60 inch Rear Projection TV $100

NOT PICTURED
Wii Dance Dance Revolution Mat and Disney Game $40

NOT PICTURED
Wii Fit bundle $50 (including board)

If you don't see anything you want or need, and you would like to make a donation- click on the paypal button on the right! Thanks a million!!

Celebrating 20 years with a big announcement!

2011-07-06T15:40:00.006-05:00

Dear friends,

We have some very exciting news about what God is doing in our family. For years, we have talked about adopting, both because we love children and because God does. We knew that "some day" we would do it, and for us, some day has come! God has been breaking our hearts for the 145 million orphans around the world, and so we have talked with our kids and we have all felt a strong leading from God to pursue this, for His glory.

God has been preparing our family for this for a long time. So many of our friends and folks we admire are passionate about orphan care and adoption, and we have and continue to read many great books and have life-changing conversations with others about these issues. It seems God is awakening the church all over the world to care for these kids and He has been speaking to our family as well. Our family devotions have pointed toward making a difference and living a life sold out to God’s will. We have particularly studied and been captivated by Isaiah 58:6-12

⁶"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
⁷Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
⁹Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
¹¹And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall belike a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
¹²And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

We are so humbled to know that God is blessing us in this way! What a privilege to get to do this! We are just starting out on this journey. We would covet your prayers for us as we navigate much paperwork and red tape. You may not be able to adopt, but you can help in this Orphan Crisis with your prayers and resources. Not just for us, but for the many families in the process of rescuing these children. Please pray about how you can be involved in helping these children who really are the “least of these”.

Roger, Caroline, Bennett, Sam, Emmie, and Isaiah

Links about adoption:

http://reecesrainbow.org/

http://www.showhope.org/Resources/TheNeed.aspx

http://www.theorphanfoundation.org/resources/The_Orphan_Crisis.pdf

http://www.allgodschildren.org/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/rick-warren-puts-spotlight-on-orphan-crisis-biblical-mandate-45108/

http://www.projecthopeful.org/

July 6, 1991- 20 years ago! To God be the glory!

2011-07-02T17:07:00.005-05:00

20 years ago! I am so thankful that God in His infinite grace and mercy saw fit to give to me this godly, loving, kind man. Roger. He's still my best friend. It's amazing that I still feel giddy about him! We have been through so much, and I am thankful that God has seen fit to sanctify us and mold us together for His purpose through these past years. I can't imagine what He has in store for us for the next 50! The wedding was wonderful and pretty....but the marriage has been beautiful! Thank you Jesus!

Overdue overview!

2011-06-24T14:12:00.007-05:00

We are back in the land of stars and stripes, leaving the maple leaf behind. I wanted to share what we saw and learned on our trip to Southwestern Ontario.

There's a beer store on every corner. No, really. It's like McDs or Tim Hortons. Every few tenths of a mile. They love their beer.

They are very eco friendly! We saw several wind "farms" with many wind turbines. Not to mention that almost every farm we saw had solar panels! Pretty cool. Also, every farm or home that you see is neat as a pin! We noticed this before when we would drive into Canada from Maine. You could always tell you had crossed to border.

This is St. Thomas, ON. Really sweet town of about 38,000. They have a couple of larger churches there. Roger talked with a Pastor of one of the churches who said they would welcome the help- that they are not reaching the younger crowd.

Main Street, St. Thomas, Ontario

They like their coffee too- Tim Hortons, Second Cup of Coffee, Coffee Culture, and of course Starbucks!

There is one of these in every little town. A Catholic Church. They are all beautiful and well kept.

St. Thomas has a lot of American "chains". Walmart is at the end of Main Street.

This town was my favorite- Chatham in Kent. About 100,000 people. Very quaint and sweet downtown on the Thames river. We met several "persons of peace" while walking the streets briefly on our way to Windsor. Again, same story. The churches are not reaching the young people.

Windsor, Ontario is a nice city of around 220,000 people. We visited with the Director of Missions and the Missions director from the Michigan Baptist Convention. They drove over to Windsor to meet with us and to probe the area a little with Roger. The kids and I drove through the neighborhood below- it's called Ottawa Street and there are 2 Ukrainian Banks there and an Orthodox church.

Holy Toledo! Is that some cheap gas? Why yes, found in Toledo, Ohio!

We stopped in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the night on the way home. Fort Wayne- lovely town- who knew? We spent the morning at the Botanical Gardens, History Museum, and the Children's Science Center. It is really a nice town- reminded me a lot of Greenville, SC.

Isaiah loved the butterfly hut!

Sam did not love the creepy talking tree!

Emmie really can make friends wherever she goes!

We had a great trip. We made some really wonderful contacts and gained a lot of information on the state of the evangelical church in Southern Ontario. There is so much work to do there, but we are very encouraged by the show of support and interest throughout Clear Creek. It's a God sized job- can't wait to get started!

London, ON

2011-06-19T21:04:00.007-05:00

We arrived in London, Ontario last night. 13 hours in the car, but a relatively easy trip. We traveled through Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana; Toledo, Ohio; and Detroit, Michigan before entering Canada at Windsor, Ontario. I get really nervous at the border check- afraid I will say something weird or wrong! I played it cool this time, except when they asked us if we knew anyone in London and I shook my head no when Roger was saying yes! We decided later, that this is definitely the case- he knows the guys he's talked to there, but I don't! Checked into the hotel after eating at a double decker McDonalds- which the kids thought was really fun.

Cheap gas? I think not- that's $127.7 per liter! 4 Liters per gallon= $5+ per gallon! The dollar menu at McD's is $1.39! Everything here is a little more expensive. The US dollar and the Canadian dollar are at about even right now. The last time we went on mission to Canada, we could get 1/3 more for our dollar. Yikes! Needless to say, we are watching our budget very carefully and looking for deals.

Sam thought this was a funny picture....notice the sign! We stopped for Timbits (donut holes) between church services. Tim Horton's is like McD's in the US. There is one every 1/4 mile! They call it "Timmies". We used to eat at them in Maine after church- yummy soup and sandwiches to0.

We attended two church services this morning. They were very different from each other. The first one was at a large "mega" church that has 2300 people in attendance over the weekend. The service was well done, the building very nice, everything was very pleasant. Of course, we can't help but scope out things, and found it lacking in authenticity. No one greeted us. No one told us where the restrooms were (Nat!). No one pointed us to childcare (though we possessed an 18mo old). The service was smooth. The sermon nice. But that's just it! I'm not sure that Jesus was invited. The bible story (not even Jesus) was presented as a life additive.

Next, we worshiped at a multi-cultural worship service that was help in a secondary school. Much more authentic worship. Many cultures represented- 5 different African countries. Today they celebrated World Refugee Day because many of those present are refugees from their own countries. The Pastor/Elder leading this ministry has a real heart for these people. He told us that 20,000-30,000 people live within about a mile of the school where they are meeting! There are a lot of high rise apartments in the area. So, we enjoyed this experience much more. Isaiah didn't exactly blend in with the other kids!

After church, we went to the city center to walk around. There were a lot of people out and about. The weather was really nice and there were two festivals going on down there. We ended up eating at..... you guessed it- Subway!!! LOL!!! The best part was when the kids asked for American cheese and the young adults guys behind us made fun of us. the. whole.time.we.were.there. Roger talked with them and asked them to friend him on facebook. They were actually very nice!

Tomorrow, we are off to one of the outlying counties around London. We are headed into the areas where we have heard there are no churches. It will be interesting to see if that is true and to try to get a pulse for those communities.

O Canada!

2011-06-09T19:52:00.006-05:00

Who knew? Well, I guess someone did, but I just found out! Can you believe that there is a 4 hour by 2 hour stretch of land in Southern Ontario, Canada that does not have a Southern Baptist church anywhere?! AND hardly an evangelical presence at all?! AND there are around 1 million people living in this area?!? WOW! I was (and still am) blown away that there is a place in North America within driving distance of my home that does not have enough churches to go around.

London, ON almost 450,000
80,000 university students

Sarnia, ON around 88,000

Chatham-Kent, ON 108,000

Not to mention the hundreds of towns in between!

Toronta, ON to Detroit, MI - no SBC churches!

You can find out more here: Canadian National Baptist Convention, Encounter Canada

Read this: Pushing Back the Darkness
These quotes are talking about the Greater Toronto Area. Other parts of Southern Ontario are worse off than Toronto.

"The GTA includes communities that are completely unengaged and unreached, meaning there is no evangelical presence at all."

Challenges in Canada
Canada has a “complete absence of a Christian subculture,” Blackaby said.

“On a typical work day, conversation about church, let alone Christ, you would not hear it. You would not expect to hear it. There’s not a natural predisposition within the general population that church is even a good thing.”

Blackaby said that in many areas witnessing and church planting begins not just with “breaking up the ground” but removing rocks, or those preconceived ideas about God and church, from under the ground. “You’re starting at a much earlier stage than you probably would in North Carolina.”

Many people in the targeted partnership area are two, even three, generations removed from any kind of real Christian experience.

They have no connection with the Bible, even the most familiar Bible stories, and are “disillusioned and disenfranchised,” Collison said. They have walked away completely from Christianity and the church. The gospel “needs to be lived out for them before it can be communicated verbally. It can be a fairly slow process of building relationships of trust and relationships of confidence,” Collison said.

We are very excited about our partnership with Canada at Clear Creek Association, and we are very hopeful that we can help! Roger and I have always had a special tenderness for Canada, and we can't wait to get started! Please pray for this area in Ontario- that Jesus name will be known!

Suspicion...

2011-06-04T18:08:00.003-05:00

Products of our past, we act in ways that we never thought we would. A young woman showed herself at my door the other day. I opened the door a crack, then a little more. She wanted to know if we had any work for her friend. I said no, but call my husband. When I went in to write his number down for her, I closed the door behind me. Firmly. Without asking her in. Inside...out of the 95 degree heat.

Suspicion. I had allowed my actions to be ruled by my past experience. The unpleasant one where our house was broken into, and our stuff taken. My ring taken. So, instead of being ruled by love and by what Jesus would do, I failed.
I can't help think, what if she had been more than I thought. And even if she was mere mortal, she was more than I thought. Loved more by the Father than I allowed.

Next time...

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Is it turkey season?

2011-02-23T14:08:00.003-05:00

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:26 ESV

In my front "yard" or field if you will. Absolutely magnificent! Beautiful birds!

The chickens were keeping an eye on what was happening on the other side of their fence. That tall one is King Edmund, our rooster, named after Edmund of Narnia.

Grace...Serving...Joy...

2011-02-22T21:18:00.003-05:00

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus...Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant..." Philippians 2:6-7

So, I have been thinking too much about myself and not about others. Enter the flu, stomach flu, and eye infection. Just take a look at my kitchen counter! The affliction has hit 4 out of 6 of us in one way or another. Not me.
I'm healthy as can be... for the time being.

When I asked God to help me to be more of a servant, he answered! Taking care of my peeps- looking outside of myself. Loving even when it's hard.

Servant-hood boot camp.

Looking for joy around here in the midst of serving. Joy never-ended and never turned aside by what's around me. It's a lot easier to find joy when you are focusing on someone else. I find myself singing "Joy, joy, Joy"
like the veggie tales on their Christmas Album!

Joy comes from remembering it was grace that got you this far!

For now... IL SB 136

2011-02-15T21:39:00.007-05:00

Amazing. Inspiring. Unbelievable. Those were the feelings that I had as we filed into the gallerys in the State Capitol Rotunda with 4000 other homeschoolers. 4000 well-behaved, well-dressed, and yes- well educated homeschoolers. Only 66 were able to fit into the hearing room, so the rest of us waited in the halls. Singing filled the entire building- God Bless America, America the Beautiful, Amazing Grace, and finally the Doxology. Beautiful music. Harmonies floating to the top of the dome.

We moved over to the left, when security asked us to make way for Senators. We moved over to the right when the tour guide needed to bring his group through. And we all became silent when Scott Woodruff came out of the hearing and told us that if we could keep quiet, the committee had agreed to allow the doors to the hearing to be opened. For the first time in history, they agreed to leave the doors open. I have never seen a more well-behaved and polite group.

Despite our best efforts, the bill was not withdrawn. There was much discussion in the hearing about those homeschoolers who are "falling through the cracks". I submit that homeschoolers don't homeschool so that their kids can stay out of school, I believe this to be a truancy issue in the government school. Parents who withdraw their kids and try for legal truancy.

For now, the Illinois Senate Education Committee did not vote on SB 136. However, the bill was not withdrawn, and Sen. Maloney indicates that he would like to amend the bill and still present it.

I think the guys in the picture above, would approve of what we did today! (Most especially George Washington!)

We will continue to pray for the legislators and that God will intervene in the situation. To Him be the glory for the wondrous showing of beautiful and godly people today!

Email Your Senators...

2011-02-13T17:45:00.003-05:00

Email your Illinois State Senate Education Committee Members and tell them to vote NO on SB136! If you want to know why- check out my blog posting from Friday.

For the Democrats click here

You will find an alphabetical listing. Go to each page and email them directly from their page.

For Republicans click here:

Here's 2 republicans:

Senator Kyle McCarter mccarter51@att.net senatormccarter51@att.net
Senator Suzi Schmidt suzi@suzischmidt.com Senator Schmidt has already returned my email and told me that she will vote NO- but it doesn't hurt to reinforce the idea!

See you in Springfield!

Answers- SB 136

2011-02-11T15:29:00.005-05:00

I've had a few questions since posting this morning about SB 136 in Illinois. Senator Maloney has authored the bill and will be putting it to hearing on Tuesday, February 15 at 10:45. You can read the bill in its entirety here.

So, what's so bad about SB136?

1. Ineffective and inappropriate regulation. Homeschoolers continue to perform above grade level on the standardized tests, so why regulate what is working. Government schools are failing, and their regulations aren't changing that. Read about that here and here.

2. Subjection to unbiblical educational goals. Our goals for the education of our children are different than those in public schools.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ESV ⁴"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

If regulations beget regulations for "the good of the children", then we must ask ourselves: whose idea of good? God or man? I choose God, and do not want man interfering with what I can teach my own children. My goals will remain God's goals for us- to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, to do it myself, not just make sure it happens.

3. Use of homeschoolers for political or financial gain. It gives the Department of Education carte blanche to decide what should be reported. They could request any information on your children that they want. When deciding on the definition of "registration", parents will not be allowed at the table, only government officials. One of the reasons we homeschool is because we believe that it is the parents' responsibility to train up their children, not the state's.

What kind of information do they want? Where we live? What the names and ages of our kids are? How does that help the state? Well, when it comes time to lobby for money on behalf of the district's "students" our kids would be added in, including test scores (which might I again emphasize are typically very good!) More students= more money. Better test scores= more money.

4. A slippery slope. This is the opening of a can of worms. Turning up the heat on the frog in the pot. This kind of legislation could lead to more regulations, and then even more. The next step would be for the state to tell us what we can and cannot teach to our children. This is absolutely unacceptable as our rights to educate our children with a Christ worldview would be in danger. That is really the most important thing that we hold to in homeschooling. And the thing that we most want to protect. Regulation could lead to more regulation and on and on until we have no rights as parents in our homes.

5. Increased government and cost to taxpayers. Where will the resources come from to pay for all of the tracking and record keeping? Illinois is already borrowing money to pay their debts.

6. The sins of the few lead to the over regulation of the many. Families who do what is right and who do a wonderful job with homeschooling their kids should not have to answer for those who don't. This is continuing a dangerous government precedent and is reminiscent of scanning 80-year old ladies and 4-year old children at the airport to find terrorists.

When you read the bill, you might think that it looks like it is for the good of the children, that Senator Maloney wants to protect all non-public school children- homeschoolers and private schoolers alike.

I leave you with a quote by the Senator himself, "We're not going for the private school students, we're going to change that [in the proposal]. What we want to know is where the homeschoolers are. It's as simple as that," Maloney said from his Springfield office.

We have a name!

2011-01-24T15:39:00.006-05:00

Wow! I can't believe that it has been a month since I posted here! Life is going on and keeping us busy. We had a wonderful Christmas break and things are back in the routine around here. We have some breaking news, but nothing too exciting! For those of you who knew we were trying to think of a name for our farm...here it is! Morning Glory Farm! Roger is the Johnny Appleseed of morning glories, spreading seed everywhere he can think of. We love the picture of God making everything new and His mercies being new each morning! We also want to give Him all of the glory. So, it fits and we love it!
Stay tuned for new developments across the farm this spring. We are hoping to plant in April/May and open our farmstand soon after. We may add an animal or two- think wool! Check out my etsy shop at Morning Glory Farmgirl. I will be adding lots of handmade items as time goes on!

I need no other argument...

2010-12-14T21:56:00.002-05:00

Last week, Isaiah 58 was my scripture reading in the morning. A great one to start the day, and a stretching one for the Christmas season. I love the if/then statements in the scripture. The ones where God tells us what he expects of us, and then tells us what to expect from Him in our obedience. How wonderful that He would even give us a glimpse of the blessing to follow knowing that obedience is it's own blessing. As we are walking through this season, our family has focused more on those around us than usual. There are so many worthy projects to help and take part in. It's actually really difficult to decide which ones to do. I wish we could do them all. I wish I had the resources to fix it all, I especially wish I could sit down with everyone in spiritual need and tell them about my great and mighty King Jesus. To tell His Story. The show of His hand of redemptive work among His people throughout all of time. That the story of the baby is not the beginning of the story, and not even close to being the end! That after generations of groaning under the weight of sin, of trying to atone for that sin through sacrifices, of always feeling the need to do more, and after 400 years of silence from God (shudder) THEN the baby came. Just as they said He would. Lowly and small. Meek and Mild so that the glory could only be given to God. A baby, born a King. A Man King on a donkey. And a Just King who will return on a mighty steed, a sword in His hand. That the bowing down to Him will be done- either now or then- and so much better for the now! So much peace and joy. Abundant life. Love and freedom. Now and forever more. Isaiah 58, taking care of the physical needs of those around us. Pouring ourselves out for them. Becoming a light as bright as noonday. A watered garden. And His love can not be hidden in that light and that abundance. We have our chance to give a reason for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15) Imagine- blessing others brings about a glorious blessing for ourselves. It goes around in circles. And comes around. And He is our peace.⁶"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
⁷Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸ Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
⁹Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
¹¹And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
¹²And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Happy Birthday, Isaiah!

2010-12-07T23:15:00.005-05:00

Isaiah-
Joy, Sweet, Funny, loves music, loves cows, gift from God

December 8, 2009 12:30am
9lbs. 1 oz 21 1/2 inches

December 8, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T21:54:00.004-05:00

We were so very blessed to have wonderful friends in for
a visit from Georgia for Thanksgiving.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,
as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly,
and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

Emmie's 9!

2010-11-19T10:15:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful baby girl!
Exuberant, sweet, loving, outgoing, strong, and fun!

November 19, 2001
Emmie Caroline Ferrell

2010

Our Staycation

2010-11-16T21:52:00.003-05:00

St Louis

Our Staycation

2010-11-13T20:19:00.001-05:00

Cave In Rock and the Ferry to Kentucky

Our Staycation

2010-11-13T20:04:00.004-05:00

Garden of the gods in Southern Illinois

Fun!

2010-10-31T19:53:00.002-05:00

Homeschool for 2010-2011

2010-10-23T20:49:00.005-05:00

I thought it would be helpful to post what we are doing in our home-school this year. I have had some of you ask what we use, and it will help me to see it all written out! So here goes:

Everyone:
Art: Artistic Pursuits
Artist Study: 4 different artists during the year
Composer Study: 4 different composers during the year
Poetry: 4 different poets during the year
Hymn Study: a new hymn every week or so
Nature Study: aiming for one a week (hikes at Giant City State Park and on our property)
Illinois History
Character Traits
Scripture Memory
Skip Counting
Geography Songs
Read Alouds: currently reading Great Expectations

Bennett (10th grade):
Science: Apologia Biology
Math: Math U See: pre algebra and algebra
Logic
History: Veritas Press Omnibus
Theology: Veritas Press Omnibus
Literature:Veritas Press Ominibus
Writing: Veritas Press Omnibus
French: The Easy French

Sam (8th grade):
Science: Apologia Biology
Math: Math U See- Zeta
Spelling: Christian Liberty Press 8
History: Veritas Press Omnibus
Theology: Veritas Press Omnibus
Literature:Veritas Press Ominibus
Writing: Veritas Press Omnibus
French: The Easy French

Emmie (3rd grade):
Science: Apologia Zoology 2 Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
Math: Math U See- Gamma
Spelling: Christian Liberty Press 2
Copywork: copying character traits
Handwriting: Classically Cursive
History: Veritas Press- Greece and Rome
Bible: Veritas Press- Judges- Kings
Grammar: Simply Grammar
Literature: Veritas Press reading list
Latin: Latin For Children Primer A
French: The Easy French

Clear Creek On Mission

2010-10-19T18:58:00.004-05:00

Wanderings

2010-10-18T10:41:00.006-05:00

Some random pictures of my wanderings..

I go to Weaver's Country Market at least once a week. It is owned and run by a Mennonite family, and all of their goods are natural and yummy! I get eggs, butter, cheese, bread, and whatever goodies we want for the week.

You can tell a Mennonite home around here, because
they all have scripture placed at their mailbox.

This is the tombstone for King Neptune, the mascot pig for the navy in the 40s. I kid you not- he has his own turnout on the highway and everything!
Google him if you want the story!

Midnight marauders enjoying the dog food on the back porch!

The last of the season's color!

This was the scene a few miles up the road- how cute is this? I wonder what the story is and who got engaged! I have been tempted to stop in and ask!!

How Can a Church Build Strong Families?

2010-10-05T10:56:00.002-05:00

How Can a Church Build Strong Families?

By: Scott Brown

Here is the bottom line: You cannot minister to the weak families unless you have strong families. Strong families are dependent upon obedient men and holy women. If we never have healthy families, then we will never have healthy churches.

The following six things are biblically mandated elements of church and family life. Each one can help to foster healthy family life, and ultimately strong churches.

1. Provide biblically qualified elders

When a church establishes biblically qualified elders who manage their households well (1 Timothy 3), they are providing for long term social change. As these men lead by example, the whole church begins to understand how a biblically ordered family functions.

2. Encourage biblical headship in the home

How do you define a broken family? It starts with the role of the head of the house. Families are broken by men and women who do not fulfill their God ordained roles. If the church ever hopes to minister to broken families, it must start by going back to scripture to find how men should be spiritual leaders in their homes. We need to be about the business of equipping men for biblical manhood.

Who will minister to the lost youth of this generation? Families and churches must reach out to preach the gospel and teach all that Christ commanded.

3. Stop creating weak families through your programs

We believe that the modern church has missed the mark by doing things that keep families weak. The church has not maintained biblical priorities for family life. When we do this, we end up withholding adequate role models or worse, we have no good role models for our weak families. If you want to build strong families you have to stop creating weak families by maintaining unbiblical, family weakening practices. Until this changes in a church, families will remain weak and broken.

4. Make the church a true family

You must give broken families a biblical church family that exemplifies Christ’s love for the church. It is in a healthy church family that people with broken families learn something they did not know before – how to be a family (Mark 10:30).

5. Provide for the lifestyle of Titus 2 women in the church

Titus 2 gives a picture of women in strong families ministering to young families. When you promote Titus 2 women who will instruct the younger women you have provided a key component to church and family life that generates strong women and strong families. If you do not encourage women to be holy keepers at home you will never be able to have strong families. This is a culture defying act but it must be done because it is a key component to biblical Christianity.

6. Provide intergenerational worship and education

Families are strengthened by participation in biblical discipleship methodology that is intergenerational. This is the only pattern that we find in Scripture. There is no such thing as age specific ministry in the Bible. It needs to be admitted that putting thirteen year olds with thirteen year olds is a very foolish and unscriptural practice. Until churches change this and similar practices, the vicious cycle of decline will continue.

Two critical issues need to be addressed. First, refusing to give priority to making strong families in our churches ensures that we will always be calling people to weakness.

Second, neglecting the biblical directives for family life rejects the major biblical methods for ministry to youth.

Our failure to obey the word of God in ministry to youth is of enormous significance for the prosperity of the church. At this time, as we continue many unbiblical practices, we are systematically sending our young people on the path of destruction. It is fracturing our families. It is corrupting our churches. It is destroying the next generation.

If we ever expect to see change, it is important to stop doing the things that make for weak families and start practicing the things that strengthen them.

I am, I can, I ought, I will

2010-10-04T15:08:00.003-05:00

Started the school week off with a reminder of our school motto (actually Charlotte Mason's school motto- but why change a great thing!)

I am: a precious creation of the Father. I am here because He wanted me here and He loves me infinitely.

I can: because He will give me what I need to do it! He has gifted me in so many areas the least of these being in every spiritual blessing.

I ought: because I am His and He has given me the abilities, I owe my allegiance and duty to Him to do my very best.

I will: I will choose to do the best I can, because I know that all opportunities put in from of me are from Him and I will honor Him with my obedience and best effort glorifying Him in all that I do.

Set Free

2010-10-01T15:52:00.005-05:00

There is no beauty within me- just scratchiness, barbs, sharp, scared. Fear of disappointing, fear of not getting well, fear of making a fool of myself, fear that another friend will leave me, fear that my friend was right in leaving me, fear that my family will leave me too. I long for Beauty. Calm. Peace. Love. I long to look into my Savior’s face every day and feel his love, to know that He approves, that I haven’t disappointed Him again. My heart aches to be a gentle person, to be serene, to laugh at the days to come, to lead my children down that path as well. That they should never hear another harsh word, that I would govern and discipline with love and soft words.

Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Joy should abound in hearts set free by grace. Joy should be the root of all that we do and say- the fruit of our intake of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Knowing this and doing this are two separate things. Where insecurities cling, a heart is not made free. They’re always there- pushing back on the good. Stealing the peace.

Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;let them ever sing for joy,and spread your protection over them,that those who love your name may exult in you.

I determine to fill this heart with words from His heart. A balm to my weary and tired soul. To fill it with beautiful thoughts, and dreams. To see the wondrous love in my life. To banish all thoughts of insecurity. To know that they were not right. Had no right. That “He is jealous for me”. That I am made new over and over again. And “Oh, how He loves me.” To be beautiful from within offering the gift of grace and mercy and love through a life well lived and well loved.

Deuteronomy 10:12
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,¹³and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? ¹⁴Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. ¹⁵Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. ¹⁶Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. ¹⁷For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. ¹⁸He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. ²¹ He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. ²²Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Set Free

Charlotte Mason Conference- this weekend!

2010-09-28T20:00:00.001-05:00

Back to School - the Charlotte Mason Way

Everyone is invited to attend a mini-conference which will explore
the gentle teaching methods of Charlotte Mason.
If you could use some encouragement in your home-schooling journey,
you don't want to miss this!

When: October 1 & 2
Where: Cornerstone Reformed Church
801 N. Almond St., Carbondale
Cost: Donation (suggested donation, $5 each day per family)

Speakers:
Sue Pruett, homeschooling mom of 5, from the St. Louis area. Her passion is to encourage others in their homeschooling and introduce weary families to the joys of Gentle Learning. More information at http://www.thecharlottemasongirl.com

Caroline Ferrell, married to Roger Ferrell. They have 4 children- Bennett (16) Sam(13) Emmie (8) and Isaiah (9mos). Caroline and her husband have served as Missionary/Church Planters for 12 years and Roger is now the Director of Missions for the Clear Creek Baptist Association in Anna. They have been homeschooling off and on for 16 years, but totally on once they discovered Charlotte Mason about 5 years ago. "Homeschooling is the heartbeat of Christ in our home, and Charlotte Mason has set us free to enjoy that!" Caroline blogs at http://www.alongobedienceinthesamedirection.blogspot.com/

Schedule:
Friday evening:
6:30-7:15 - Intro to CM / Atmosphere of the Home - Caroline Ferrell

7:15-7:30 - Break- concessions available downstairs (Girl's Sunday School class providing food as a fund raiser)
-book table (Sue will have school materials for sale)

7:30-8:15 -Living Books (What qualifies a book, do text books ever qualify?) -Sue Pruett

8:15-8:45 book sales, concessions, visit

Sat. morning:
9:30-10:15 - Teaching Language Arts (narration, writing, grammar) -Caroline Ferrell

10:15-10:30 - break, concessions, book sales

10:30-11:15 -Sciences and/or Math -Sue Pruett

11:15-11:30 -break, more concessions, more book sales

11:30-12:00 -Q&A with both speakers

You don't have to be using Charlotte Mason methods to benefit from this conference.
Pass the word along to your friends, everyone will leave with new ideas for instilling a love of learning in their homes.
Hope to see everyone there!

Emmie's Baptism

2010-09-27T20:10:00.007-05:00

It's Not about Hymns...but about Heart!

2010-09-14T14:52:00.002-05:00

The kids and I are learning about and singing "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" during our hymn study in school. The hymn was written by Isaac Watts in 1715. At the time that he was writing hymns, Isaac was considered to be very controversial because he was introducing a "new" way of worshiping in church. Hymns were beginning to take the place of singing the Psalms. Churches all over England were having troubles over this and many churches divided over it, including the church once pastored by John Bunyan. By the way, Watts also wrote "Joy to the World"! It's not about style, but substance. And it's not about preference, but hearts bowed before him with undying gratitude for what He has done. If we truly understood worship- we wouldn't be able to get off of our faces. Oh to have that kind of heart of worship!

Psalm 33

The Steadfast Love of the LORD

¹ Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
²Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
³Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
⁵He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

⁶By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
⁷He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
⁹For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
¹¹ The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

¹³The LORD looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
¹⁴from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
¹⁶ The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
¹⁷ The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

¹⁸Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
¹⁹that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
²¹For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
²²Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

ESV

Summers End

2010-09-06T14:04:00.003-05:00

Good Advice!

2010-08-21T21:10:00.004-05:00

Read this the other day:

Become a very good listener, your ears will never get you into trouble!

That made me think of James 1:19: "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger..." ESV

Where has the summer gone...

2010-08-21T16:39:00.008-05:00

So, we have been missing from my blog, but now that summer is over- here are some pictures to show what we have been up to! (in no particular order! :)

My family at Pawley's Island SC

Boys and cousins at Edisto with Roger's family.

Isaiah is 8 months!

The only perfect omelet I have ever made! Especially for Cindy Chingo who visited with us on her way home from Chicago!

Rainbow off of our porch the first night in our new house.

Dyess' and us at the Greenville SC zoo

Dyess' and us at the really cool Castle playground near our house in Illinois

Sunset on the way home from the Lake of Egypt Church Plant
core group meeting- late May.

Fourth of July on the Lake of Egypt with friends.

Sam and Isaiah chillin.

Moving!

Isaiah 6 months

Treasures...

2010-07-15T21:39:00.004-05:00

So, the people that we bought the farm from (when I say that, I always think I should reassure you that we are alive and kicking and that we didn't really "buy the farm" :)
Anywho- they left a bunch of stuff. I mean a bunch. It's like they took what they needed and walked out. I am reminded a little of Connemara, Carl Sandburg's home, that's a museum now. When Mrs. Sandburg left, she only took what she needed (she even left her purse on the chair) and it is all still in place! We are daily finding new treasures. Here's a few:

a piano!!!!! I mean a beautiful Kawai piano. Nicer than any we have every had.
a truck!! I kid you not! They did not want to move the truck. We did pay them $500 but a quick search of Kelley Blue Book shows that it's worth $3100!!!! YeeHaw!!
a container of handmade quilts and quilt tops! (pictures to come)
oodles of tools
tables and chairs
beach chairs
some kind of grinder thing- hopefully for grain?
books and more books
pots and pans
canning jars
rugs
a fooseball table
hangers in every closet
fencing
3 desks
2 desk chairs
art work
2 refrigerators
a HUGE wardrobe (perfect for pretending Narnia! minus the furs of course!)
shelving
a chipper
a tiller
loads of batteries
a pantry full of organic groceries
a fridge full of organic groceries (almond breeze "milk" anyone?)
plants
mirrors
lamps
LOTS of birdseed
all kinds of other seed
and Much more!

We are discovering new wonders every day. I will post pictures soon and keep you up to date on anything new we find!

It's a BIG week...

2010-07-07T16:44:00.003-05:00

This past week, I turned 40, Roger and I had our 19th wedding anniversary AND we closed on the farm of our dreams! BIG doin's!!

First, I thought I would be old when I turned 40, but 40 feels great! I am really looking forward to this decade. I have 4 great kids and a wonderful Godly husband! Life is good and I praise God for his blessings in my life.

Second, 19 years! YeeHaw! Now that's something to celebrate! I am still as much in love with him today as on our wedding day, AND I know that I love him more. Time has given us a deep and abiding understanding of each other and who God made us to be. I am so thankful that we get to be that with each other! Praise Him again!

Lastly- we finally closed on our farm!! YAY! We are so excited about moving in next week. (The folks that we bought it from needed a couple of weeks to go to Virginia to buy another house, so we are in SC spending the week with Roger's folks)

Here are some pictures of the property:

I have my chicken order in the queue at Murray McMurray hatchery ( I think 25 will do)! Can't wait to host small group bible studies, church planting team meetings, families that don't know Jesus for dinner, friends that do for fellowship and worship. If you are in our neck of the woods, please plan on stopping by. We would love to see you!!

Out and about...

2010-06-25T21:22:00.002-05:00

Oh How He Loves Us- David Crowder

2010-06-21T23:17:00.001-05:00

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

This can only mean one thing...

2010-06-21T09:51:00.004-05:00

That's right! You guessed it, we are moving again! What you might not know is that we have already moved once since coming to Illinois! That makes 4 moves in one year. The BEST news is that we have found a dream property and can't wait to buy it and live there! Now, for what to do during the 3-4 weeks that we will be homeless.... Always an adventure!!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader!! WOO HOO! Can't Wait!!

2010-06-19T12:15:00.002-05:00

Chronicles Of Narnia 3

Sacred Parenting

2010-06-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

I have been reading Sacred Parenting- How Raising Children Shapes Our Souls by Gary Thomas the last couple of weeks. One chapter a day so that I can really savor it and understand what he is trying to say. (short lessons, as Charlotte Mason would say!)

I love the perspective that Thomas gives in this book. It's not about me or my selfish desires! When we first decided to have kids, it was all about us. We wanted, we decided, we timed it, and so on. The focus was on what we wanted and even what we believed we were entitled to- kids. Many years late (14 to be exact), God spoke into our hearts His desire for us to have more kids. He spoke into our hearts to say, "Let me be in control of every part of your life. Not just the parts that you want me to be in, but all!" What a different perspective. 16 months later, along came Isaiah! What a wonderful and merciful gift! And again, our perspective has changed. This child was born out of a desire to bow to our sovereign Lord, to glorify Him, to use our lives to make a difference for Him. And God gave him to us to shape our soul.

In Sacred Parenting, Thomas sums it up really well. yes, God gives us these children to bring to the throne of grace, but he also gives us these children to bring US to the throne of grace. Through them, we are being sharpened and honed, matured, and made ready for His service. It's undoubtedly the hardest job we will ever have. It's also a job that lasts our lifetime. It's a job that requires us to order our lives in such a way as to do the very best that we can- from God's point of view. And that requires a different perspective- that this life is not our own and that we must sometimes sacrifice and give sometimes until it hurts.

Thomas says, "Sacred parenting calls us to focus our brief lives on what will create the most impact for the future generations. We will soon be forgotten on earth, but we'll be remembered in heaven. Let us humbly accept this fact, and them embrace the sacred trust of children that God bestows upon us. We must reprioritize our lives according to our own relative insignificance, finally learning to think as God thinks... generationally. We are born, we die, and then we get out of the way. But those who hold parenting as a sacred journey, and treat it accordingly, will leave behind something wonderful and lasting."

Isaiah is 6 months old!

2010-06-07T19:16:00.005-05:00

The Road Home...

2010-06-07T17:38:00.002-05:00

This is the road that our home is on. So beautiful!

Homemaking Blog

2010-06-05T10:38:00.004-05:00

I have recently been introduced to a wonderful new blog- Raising Homemakers.

This is their description of their purpose:

"RaisingHomemakers.com is dedicated to inspiring, teaching and blessing mothers who have an interest in raising their daughter in godliness and preparing them in the arts of homemaking to the glory of God."

What an encouragement in our walk to raise up godly women! I am so excited to have this resource as I strive to give Emmie the tools that she will need to be a godly keeper of her home. To help her learn the art of homemaking, the privilege of child bearing and training, and the joy of impacting her family for generations.

Take a look, I think you will be blessed as well!

Oh Glorious Day- Praise Jesus!

2010-05-30T22:13:00.001-05:00

Emmie has just excepted Christ! What a wonderful and glorious day- to Him be the glory!!

Little bird...

2010-05-25T17:58:00.003-05:00

You're a Mom...

2010-05-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

Your Hands

2010-05-20T22:37:00.004-05:00

Walking through a painful season. It's lasted a while now. I find myself searching scripture and finding peace, but my feeble heart takes it on temporarily. I leave the pain at the altar only to pick it back up. Oh, to leave it there and walk away and never look back. Make it so Lord Jesus! Psalm 37 has been comforting to me this week:

3Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

And especially:

23The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴ though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.

This song really touches me too:

Your Hands- JJ Heller

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn’t there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

The Parable of the Sower

2010-05-17T11:14:00.006-05:00

The sermon yesterday was out of Matthew 13- the parable of the sower. It's one that I have heard and read many times before, but yesterday I came to a new understanding about it. I just love when He does that!

As we studied the passage, the different soils stood out to me.
Of course the seeds are God's word. They fell on:

the path- a heart that is willingly hardhearted
the rocky ground- a heart with surface change
the thorns- a heart that looks to everything else but what matters
the good soil- a heart that hears, understands, does and yields

After diagnosing which soil my heart is made out of right now, I had the thought that not only am I to prepare my heart to receive the Word, but also prepare the hearts of my children! Earth shattering (not), I know, but rocking my world nonetheless. I have always felt the importance of giving the Word of God to my children, but have been discouraged at times, that the Word didn't seem to be penetrating into their hearts.

It was really neat to come at this passage with my new found knowledge of agriculture that comes just from living in a very rural area. The people around me all "got it"- this is their lives. One neat thing that was brought out was that Jesus told the disciples that the good soil produced grain- some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. This was big! Back them, they were glad just to produce an 8/1 yield. That was considered a bumper crop! So to say that they could have a 100, 60, or 30 yield was amazing to them! (Just so you know, today one corn plant will produce 200 kernels of corn! I know because the owner of a seed corn company was sitting in front of me and the Pastor asked him how much! How's that for expert testimony!)

Okay, so time for evaluation. This is always good at the end of a school year! How is our yield? Is is 8? 30? 60? 100? Is the Word of God penetrating the hearts of our children and even more important, is it bearing fruit?? Are their lives changed?

How can we prepare the soil of their hearts? Even if we have some yield we can always do better. I have been observing the fields around our house for several weeks now. It is spring, so the farmers have been at work preparing their fields for planting.

Drawing some comparisons:

The farmer can not plant until the soil is at the perfect wetness(don't know if that is the correct word, but oh well). If the soil is too wet, the seed will rot. If it is too dry, it will not sprout. (botany 101) They watch and wait. They pray for good weather. They pay attention to the soil and they check on it daily and sometimes hourly. So, if we are to take a lesson from that, we need to be ever watchful for times to plant the Word of God in their heart where it will be received and take root! There are times in our kids lives, when their hearts are more open and ready to receive. We must be watchful for those times and take the opportunities to give them the Word then. To help them apply the Word when their hearts are most ready.

When the soil is ready, the farmers take out their tractors and they plow, plow, plow! They dig into the dirt and turn it over. Then they set the seed in the ground. So, when we recognize that a child has a receptive heart, we can help by digging down into the issue they are facing. Asking questions, leading them to the throne and planting the seed in freshly turned soil of their hearts.

After that, the farmer sits back and waits. Waits for it to grow. Watches for the little sprouts to show themselves. Prays for rain. Sometimes, we have to sit back and watch as well. After all, we can lead them to the throne of grace, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw them to Jesus. So, we sit back and watch, and pray!

Later this summer, I am looking forward to seeing the tall plants blowing in the wind. They will hopefully be strong and produce much corn (that's what they grow around here) At just the right time, they will produce fruit and the farmer will rejoice! Same for us, the Bible tells us to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. We can look forward to a time when our children will be strong and tall, bearing fruit!

I am so thankful and grateful that Jesus gave us word pictures. I am also thankful to have the Holy Spirit to make those pictures known to me. Praise Him!

Strawberries!!!

2010-05-13T16:21:00.003-05:00

We went strawberry picking with some friends today. It was a lot of fun! It was great to take Isaiah for the first time- we have been picking strawberries every year since Bennett was 1 ! Making jam tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T18:20:00.004-05:00

We dedicated Isaiah today at church! My favorite thing was that our entire family particpated in the ceremony, not just us parents!

Emmie's Violin Concert

2010-04-22T09:45:00.002-05:00

Em has been taking violin lessons since January. Her first public performance was last week at SIU (Southern Illinois University) for an Education Arts Festival- there were 500 students in the audience!!