I Finally Understand

I have a confession.  Many times when I read my Bible, especially in the Psalms, I don't focus on and meditate over the parts when David or Asaph (or whomever the author may be) speak of the triumph of the wicked and beg God to answer their prayer.

"Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;

rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

O LORD, by your hand save me from such men,

from men of this world whose reward is in this life."

Psalm 17:13-14

"Listen to my prayer, O God,

do not ignore my plea;

hear me and answer me.

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

at the voice of the enemy,

at the stares of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering upon me

and revile me in their anger.

My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death assail me.

Fear and trembling have beset me;

horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest -

I would flee far away and stay in the desert;

I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm."

Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech,

for I see violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they prowl about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

Destructive forces are at work in the city;

threats and lives never leave its streets.

If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;

if a foe were raising himself against me,

I could hide from him.

But it is you, a man like myself,

my companion, my close friend,

with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship

as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

My companion attacks his friends;

he violates his covenant.

His speech is smooth as butter,

yet war is in his heart;

his words are more soothing than oil,

yet they are drawn swords.

Cast your cares on the LORD

and he will sustain you;

he will never let the righteous fall.

But you, O God, will bring down the wicked

into the pit of corruption;

bloodthirsty and deceitful men

will not live out half their days.

But as for me, I trust in you."

Psalm 55:1-14, 20-23

"How long will you defend the unjust

and show partiality to the wicked?

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Rescue the weak and needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

Psalm 82:2-4

I suppose the reason I just skim over these verses is that I really don't encounter "the wicked".   At least not in my comfortable American life.  And, before a year ago, I never really walked along side the weak and fatherless, the poor and oppressed.

But, praise God, He has changed the course of my life and has given me a taste of what real persecution looks like.  Now that our family is part of SixtyFeet, we have come along side the weak and fatherless, the poor and oppressed.  We have encountered great injustices and have even made some enemies along the way.  We have seen the wickedness of the Enemy at work.

As weary and upset as I get in the face of injustice (particularly if it's directed at us), there is a part of me that is encouraged.  Satan is obviously unhappy.  He will do what he can to derail God's plans.  But, you know what?  No matter how hard he tries (and he's pretty good at discouragement and inflicting pain), God's plans will not be thwarted!  For "[t]he LORD Almighty has sworn, 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.'"  Isaiah 14:24.

The wicked may have their day.  Often they prosper and bring about grief and suffering for God's elect and it's hard to imagine why God permits it.  But we must always remember (always) that He is faithful!  No matter what, he will never forsake His people.  Whether the sun is shining down on you or your walking through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with you and He always will be.  So be encouraged in the midst of trials and suffering, in fact count it all joy!!  For your crown of life awaits... 

"I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies."

Psalm 18:1-3

You Will Be Missed

Surprisingly, I didn't cry much today.  

In fact, the first tear didn't fall until I was carrying Phoebe to the car.

I looked up and spotted my two oldest daughters standing at the window.

Sobbing. 

 Oh, my heart!

We wanted his last day to be special.

So we got him a special something from Gigi's Cupcakes.  

I think the cupcake weighed more than he did!  

(note: the cupcake looked much prettier when we bough it...)

He mustered up enough strength to get a few licks.  

I had the blessed honor of holding my furry man as he breathed his last.  

It's one of those moments I'll always remember.  

You better believe I cried then!  

What a blessed joy you have been in our lives, Phoebe.  

Thank you for all the snuggles, purrs, meows,

rubs on the legs, greetings at the door, bread-making,

saucy parties, scritches, and love.

You will be missed.

Love Your Enemies

We are a big reading family.  I love snuggling up with my girls on the sofa reading book after book after book.  You should see us at the library - we check out about 50 books at a time!  No joke!

While at the library last week, I picked up a book called, "The Story of Ruby Bridges".  It looked like your run-of-the-mill book about segregation.  But, as I read it to my children this afternoon, there was something different about it.

Read for yourself:


Mrs. Henry saw Ruby's lips moving and wondered what Ruby could be saying [to the crowd].
The crowd seemed ready to kill her.
Then Ruby stopped talking and walked into the school.
When she went into the classroom, Mrs. Henry asked her what happened.  Mrs. Henry told Ruby that she'd been watching and that she was surprised when Ruby stopped and talked with the people in the mob.
Ruby became irritated.
"I didn't stop and talk with them," she said.
"Ruby, I saw you talking," Mrs. Henry said.  "I saw your lips moving."
"I wasn't talking," said Ruby.  "I was praying.  I was praying for them."
Every morning, Ruby had stopped a few blocks away from school to say a prayer for the people who hated her.  This morning she forgot until she was already in the middle of the angry mob.
When school was over for the day, Ruby hurried through the mob as usual.  After she walked a few blocks and the crowd was behind her, Ruby said the prayer she repeated twice a day - before and after school:
Please, God, try to forgive those people.
Because even if they say those bad things,
They don't know what they're doing.
So You could forgive them,
Just like You did those folks a long time ago
When they said terrible things about You.




Wow.  When was the last time I said a prayer like that about those that say ugly things about me, my children, my husband, our ministry, our decision to adopt?

I doubt Ruby Bridges prayed like this to appease other people.  I doubt she did it to show others how righteous she was (gosh, she was only 7 and she prayed by herself!)

No, I think she prayed for her enemies because her parents taught her how to pray for others, especially those that persecute you.  And, I think she prayed for her enemies because her LORD commanded her to do so.

Luke 6:27-36
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even 'sinners' do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?   Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners' expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  

How Do You Say Good-Bye?

There is some serious spiritual attackin' going on lately. 

 So many of my friends are talking about it. 

If you don't believe in spiritual warfare,

 just start the adoption process and see what happens!  

Here are some of my favorite blogs that speak of this topic:

Good To Be Crazy

  It's Almost Naptime

 Steppin Heavenward

0atsvall Team

I feel I have a strong faith and I can see a spiritual attack for what it is.  

Satan usually isn't that creative.  

Busted pipes.  

Car won't start.  

Ants.  

Fights with loved ones.

But this time, he got personal.  

I'm a cat and dog kind of gal. 

 I've always grown up with pets.  

They've stuck with me through the happy times and the tough times.  

More specifically, though, I'm a cat girl.  

I love me a fur-ball snuggle topped with a heaping purr.  

I love that they sit on your arms as you are trying to type.  

I love when they "make bread" on your tummy. 

 I love when they get saucy and pounce on air.  

I love when they make bread in your hair at night and then curl up in a ball on your head. 

And I love my Phoebe.  

(Note: Phoebe is indeed a boy who was neutered, 

so he doesn't really mind that he has a girl name.  

You see, we had the name first - a la Phoebe Buffay: Smelly Cat - then we got the cat.)

Phoebe is an orange tabby who has never met a human he didn't like.  

He is the most mellow cat.

The kind that doesn't mind the girls hauling him up stairs for an afternoon of dress up.  

But tomorrow we are going to have to say good-bye to Phoebe.

He has blessed our lives for a full 16 years.

But it's time.  

I'm not sure who is going to miss him more...

How do you say good-bye?

In my heart of hearts, I really believe that animals will be in heaven.

I'm not sure if my beloved Phoebe will be there, per se. 

But, God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it.

And, He will create a new heaven and a new earth.  

So, I choose not to say good-bye.

(End Note: At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if there will be animals in heaven or not...we will be so focused on worshiping our Lord and Savior that we won't be scritching any fur-balls!)

I Can't Wait to Get Married!

Yes, that is a direct quote from my 6 year old.  She is truly one of those little girls who dreams about getting married one day.  And, she already has a handsome fellow in mind...

Seriously, these two have been "an item" for over two years now.  Luckily, the in-laws are some of our best friends and we both would be delighted if they actually got married.  

My little girl uttered these words as she dreamily witnessed 

my brother marry his sweetheart about a week ago. 

Three of our four girls were actually flower girls... 

...though the littlest one wouldn't be left out!

 

(that's my Mama - isn't she stunning in this picture??!!)

My, oh my - there has been lots of talk of weddings lately.  

The Royal Wedding. 

 My brother's wedding.  

My best friend's cousin's wedding.  

And while all of those weddings are exciting and happy occasions, the wedding

 I'm most looking forward to is when I'm joined with my BrideGroom for eternity.  

Stuff for Sale!

As many of you know, adoptions aren't cheap.  In fact, they are down right expensive.  Like in the tens of thousand dollars kind of expensive.  And, I don't know about your family, but we don't have that kind of money just hanging around in our bank account.

So, we are coming up with some creative ways to pay for this adoption.  One way is to count up all of our change we have lying around the house.  It's so sweet when the girls find a penny or a nickel on the ground - "Mom!  Look!  Another penny to add to adoption fund!"

One other way we are going to raise money is to sell the useless crap treasures we have sitting around our house.  And trust me - with 4 children, we have alot of useless crap treasures to pawn off sell!  We are joining in our neighborhood-wide garage sale this Saturday in hopes to defray the cost of some of the expenses that will be coming up in the next few months.

Sssoooooo - if you are interested in supporting our adoption and finding that "just-what-I've-always-wanted" trinket, come on by this Saturday, May 14th, between 9am and 1pm.  If you need our address, comment and I'll email it to you.

Also, if you have excess crap treasures you are looking to dump find a new home for, we would love to sell it for you this weekend!  Just contact me and let me know when you want to bring it by.

Oh, and did I mention those adorable Cupcake Kids will be out and about as well?  Yesiree - they'll be set up ready to tell all those folks about the precious children in Uganda.


Happy garage sale shopping, y'all!

Why In The World Would You Do This?!?!

Here are a few comments we’ve recently received from well-intentioned friends and family members about our upcoming adoption:

“Why in the world would YOU do this?  YOU do enough already for the kids in Africa!”

"YOU have such a beautiful family.  Why would YOU want more kids?"

"God has blessed YOU with a perfect family.  Why would YOU want to mess it up?"

"Look how beautiful YOUR daughters are.  Why would YOU want to 'muddy the waters'?"

"How are YOU going to afford putting 5 children through college?"

"YOU already have to pay for 4 weddings. How are YOU going to pay for another wedding?"

“How can YOU love them all the same?"

“Where are YOU going to put all these kids?”

"YOU can't handle the 4 YOU have.  How are YOU going to deal with MORE kids?"

Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh but all I want to say to our well-intentioned friends and family is "Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."  Matt. 16:23. 

Honestly, do you think I care one ounce about how I'm going to pay for a wedding 20 years from now?  Or what the sleeping arrangements might be in our house when our son or daughter arrives, or how this might impact the college fund for our children?  Please.  (For a good read on this, check out It's Almost Naptime - I really couldn't say it any better!)

Nearly all of these comments are about pragmatism and how OUR life might be affected.  What about God?  Not once have we received a critical comment grounded in God's Word!  What about the life of the child God has called to our family?  What about his or her life?  Should we allow them to continue living in prison and oppression so that our biological children have a nicer wedding or a better sorority experience at college? 

Here are some other comments (some of which we’ve received and some of which would be nice to hear).  Notice the difference in the statements above:

"I'm so excited.  I can't wait to see how GOD works through all this!"

"What a beautiful picture of GOD'S grace.  May HE bless you as you walk in obedience to HIS call.”

"I'm praying for your family."

"Praise GOD!"

"This will be a difficult journey, but GOD will sustain you."

"We want to walk alongside you in this.  Please let us know how we can help."

"What an incredible picture of The Gospel!"

We realize there are a number of issues to consider - financial, medical, social, etc...  Unexpected things will happen and we can't plan for all of them, nor do we feel we need to.  We know adoption will be tough.  We’re not kidding ourselves.  But God didn’t call us to a simple life of leisure and pleasure.  He calls us to a life of sacrifice where there will be suffering, persecution and reviling.  And He wants us in a position where we WILL HAVE to rely on Him.  

Yet we trust and know in the deepest part of our heart that God will equip us.  We have been "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Eph. 2:10.  All we have to do is walk in them. He has already paved the way.  We're just walking down a road He's cleared, graded, and prepared from the foundation of time.

So why in the world would we do this?  The answer is simple.  Our hearts desire to honor and serve God through adoption.  There is no other explanation.  And we will not turn to the left or right no matter what strained logic this world uses or how unconventional and impractical it may seem...no matter what people say.  We look forward to the day when we will hear the one and only comment that will matter - "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The Easy Life

We've had a rough few days.  It seems that the Enemy is on the prowl.  My dear friends told me this would happen.  "Once you start proceeding with adopting, watch out.  The warfare WILL begin!"  And they were right. 


One of my good friends gave me some sage advice about this, though.  She said, "I don't want to live a life that Satan doesn't want to bother with."  Amen, sister!  


I think this is what Paul meant when he was talking about rejoicing in suffering and trials - you know you're probably walking with the Lord and doing some good kingdom stuff.  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4


Yesterday, my two older girls and I were hanging out doing some crafts.  I can't really remember what happened, but I must have huffed about something because one of my daughters said, "Mommy, don't you wish life were super easy?"  I thought about this for a minute, then the Lord brought to my mind the devotion I had just read that morning from Jesus Calling:
"Living in dependence on Me is the way to enjoy abundant life.  You are learning to appreciate tough times, because they amplify your awareness of My Presence.  Tasks that you used to dread are becoming rich opportunities to enjoy My closeness .  When you feel tired, you remember that I am your Strength; you take pleasure in leaning on Me.  I am pleased by your tendency to turn to Me more and more frequently, especially when you are alone." (May 2).  


It was a blessing to answer my daughter with a confident "No".  


If life were easy, why would we need Christ?  


The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.
 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
 You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever.
Psalm 23