The gift that keeps on Giving

"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

Fun!

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.

Sacred Parenting

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."

Happy Birthday Sam!

I now have two teenagers! Sam turns 13 today! How to describe Sam
Musician, artist, funny, sweet, smart, quirky, godly, Sam!!

Tiny feet and life!

Last night at church, we were treated to a talk by a man who has made life his cause. The life of innocent babies that is. As the anniversary of Roe Vs. Wade just passed, we have been more aware of the issues surrounding the issue of abortion. Not to mention the fact that we just had a new baby. All of that makes the issue more personal. This gentleman invited us to make our presence known at an abortion clinic here in IL. Our kids asked if we can go one Saturday- yay, we will make plans for that.

The bad news is that this one clinic has been responsible for over 430,000 deaths since the mid 70's! Can you believe that? I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that number. EVIL!

The good news is that because of the prayer and protests of a few, over 200o babies have been saved. The clinic that used to be open 6 days a week, is now only open 3 days a week. Those who go to pray at the clinic regularly see women change their mind. These warriors for life even have an ultrasound machine in a van in the parking lot that they offer free to anyone who wants to look. Wow!

The ladies mission group at our church is collecting items for the crisis pregnancy center that serves our small community. They are in desperate need. They cut packs of diapers in half because they don't have enough to give a full pack to a new mom. Take a minute and find out about the crisis pregnancy centers in your area and how you can help.

We can't only denounce the evil that is done. For those who choose wrongly, it brings to mind 2 Timothy 25-26^:
25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

We must love- we must give hope, and we must serve those that choose life.

A funny...

So yesterday, the whole crew went to church with Roger. We don't always go with him- he is in a different church every week. This church asked that we come with him, so we did. Anyway, this is a tiny church and I immediately ask the all important questions so that I can find out where I can go if Isaiah gets hungry. How about the basement? Sure, but we have turned the men's bathroom at the back of the sanctuary into a sort of office, and you are welcome to go in there. Great! So, about half-way through the sermon, Isaiah starts to fuss and I know that he is hungry, so we head out to the men's room. All is well-- for a while. I did have the foresight to lock the door. Soon I hear a little rattle and then more and then whispers "there's someone in the mens' room". I am not in a position to just jump up and leave- if you get my meaning. Babies don't like it when you abruptly end their meal! No problem, I think. They will just use the girl's room. It's empty and just across the 3 foot wide hallway. NO!! More rattles, more whispering, and giggles. I am getting jumpy and thinking about what I will do if the door bursts open. Maybe they will get someone to pick the lock? Talk about being caught at your finest hour! Finally, Isaiah finishes, and we open the door to two boys hanging out in the hallway (which is really the back of the sanctuary). "Are you kidding me?" I ask them. "Couldn't you use the bathroom across the hall?" (did I mention that it is 3 FEET AWAY!!) Sheepish looks and more giggles. Now- that's one way to get out of sitting in church!

Difficulty

We have certainly had some difficulty lately. Our oldest has suffered some fainting episodes which has put us in the emergency room, the pediatrician's office, the neurolgist's office, the EEG lab, and finally the MRI lab. Now we wait. We won't have the results of the tests until sometime next week, however, the Neurologist was very positive and not especially concerned. I have felt peace about the entire ordeal, not really believing that something may be wrong, but when the Dr tells you they have found "spots" on your baby's brain, you can't help but feel a little tingle up the spine. Yesterday, when we were at the Children's Hospital, Roger and I kept looking at each other and whispering how thankful we are to have healthy children. Watching your child laying still on a table with his head wrapped in gauze really gives you something to think about.
On the one hand, I am so thankful that our kids are healthy and with us, but on the other, I would rejoice in their homecoming to their Lord and Savior. Kind of a weird place to be! Not that I wouldn't grieve them, but I am so thankful that they have a relationship with Jesus and that even if earthly healing didn't occur, heavenly healing would.
My favorite verse (this week!) is Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You".