Angels walking among us

This could take while so if you need to go get your coffee, tea or cherry vanilla diet Dr. Pepper go for it. I have had a very interesting week. God answered me, just not in the way I thought He would.

One thing I have come to realize is that sometimes after we have prayed and have the answer and are all set on doing what we have been lead to do, God may throw in a little curve ball just to make sure He truly has our attention. That happened to me this week. I won't go into all the details but God confirmed in my heart what I was suppose to do, then BAM a little curve ball. Of course this made me sit back and rethink the situation. You know, was it me, was it God? Am I sure that is what I am suppose to do? ARGH! Now what? To be honest I had no clue. I was really upset. Then God sent three angels with three messages. You do realize that angels walk among us? Some we see and some we don't. These three angels were men that God used to help me realize several things. They each had a message for me.

The first angel came to me Friday afternoon with an envelope. In the envelope was a card and a gift card. Both very unexpected. As nice as the gift card was it was the hand written message in the card that meant the most. It said that I was valued and appreciated. Then it dawned on me whenever I was in a situation that I was feeling very unappreciated by a certain critical person this angel would show up right after and make everything all right.
The second and third angels came today. Our church is having a mission week so our Sunday School class had a visiting missionary come speak. He is from Ethiopia and is wonderful. One thing about preachers from other countries they do not try to make everything nice and rosy, they tell it like it is and kick your booty into the real world. Anyway, he taught the truth. But he also confirmed so many things in my heart! It was like God was saying " yes Elaine, you are on the right track, stay faithful, I am right here." He also spoke about the fact that God gave everyone of us a purpose. It is up to us to discover what that purpose is and use it. He said people who discover their purpose and never use it will never know true joy. More about this angel in a bit.
The third angel was a guest missionary preacher in worship. First of all we had people coming in at the beginning of service carrying flags from many nations. I don't mind saying when the S. Korea flag and the Vietnam flag go by my heart jumps and I get all teary eyed. Then when the Christian flag and the American flag go by, well that is all she wrote! Here comes the tears. I have daughters from S. Korea and Vietnam and I have a son who vowed to fight for our freedom, so if the waterworks go so be it!
Anyway the preacher again kicked some much needed booty and told stories of children in other countries that would make your blood curl. Then he asked "what are you going to do about it?" Again, we can all do something! Give money, pray, serve... All of these things are important. You need too spend time with God too know what that is. After he was through with his message he asked everyone who felt called too do one of the above in a mission capacity to come down front. Without any hesitation, my husband took my hand and we walked to the front, I am happy to say with a lot of others who felt lead. It was a defining moment for my husband and I. We know, that we know, that we know.
Back to angel number 2. Some of our community took him and his wonderful family to lunch. We had a wonderful time. After everyone left I was talking to a friend and her son, while her husband was speaking to this missionary. Afterwards my daughter and I went up to him to tell him how much we enjoyed him and his family. He took my hand looked directly into my eyes and said "you have a personality that makes people feel very comfortable, you make us feel like we have always known you." I was shocked and humbled. Here I walked up to him to tell him how wonderful I thought his message was and he says this to me. Then he says "you have a kind heart and your heart will link many people together." gulp. I just looked at him and shook his hand which he had held this whole time and said "thank you so much." Then his wife came up to me and she was so sweet and basically was agreeing with him.
Why do I share this? It is not to toot my own horn. Don't you see? This is totally and completely about God. How when we think we are at the end of our rope and can't take anymore, or move on, or we are not sure, when we are down to our last mustard seed of faith, He will be there. He may show us He is there through people He brings into our lives, a sermon, a verse from the bible a song or a dream. However it may be we have to be looking with our heart. Believe it or not there are times our heart hears and sees better than our eyes or ears.
So too answer the question from the previous post. The Spirit will win.
I want to say thank you God for the three angles you put in my life this week. Watch over them and bless them. And Lord thank you for not giving up on me even when I have given up on myself.
Have a blessed week!
Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

Complete and Total Faith

If you have read my blog for any length of time you know this last year as been one of ups and downs. Exactly one year ago next week I left a job I really loved. I didn't want to leave but it was apparent I needed to exit. All of the sudden I had nothing to do. So I saw it as an opportunity to do what God had called me to do with the Hug Away Foundation. I can say there are days I think "OK God what else could you possibly teach me today? Is there anything left?" The answer is always yes. I would be lying if I didn't admit to you that I am physically, emotionally, financially wore out. But never spiritually. That is what keeps me going. Faith.
I think I have been open to the fact I had to hit my lowest lows to get to the point where I would actually reach up to God. Again, to be completely honest there are days I have felt He left me hanging because I sure didn't feel Him reaching down. But I know that I know He is there and prayers will be answered. They say that what doesn't break you makes you stronger. Well if that is the case...
This week God has showed me through our lesson in Sunday school, worship and scripture that I have to depend on Him and the things that have happened this past year were lessons to teach me to give God control. I may say I give God control, but as long as I continue to take things into my own hands then I am not trusting Him let alone depending on Him.
I have a huge decison to make. The answer is pretty obvious, but the effect it will have could be very stressfull in more ways than I care to think of. If I let go and do what I beleive I am suppose too do, it will truly be in Gods hands and I will be totally depended on Him. If I don't give it all too Him, I would have control of something I should have let go of long ago. The answer seems simple doesn't it? We are talking complete and total faith. Will the flesh win over the spirit or the spirit win over the flesh? I hope I can say the spirit will win.

Update on little girl

Remember the little girl I mentioned about 2 post ago? Her forever family has found her! No it is not us and yes I am ok with that. I am just happy she has a family.

Gods Plan

My beauties. They were gifts at a time in my life when I thought I was through having children. God had blessed me with three awesome sons and an angel in heaven. I was forty years old and going to baseball and basketball games and preparing for my oldest son to graduate from high school. Life was good. My husband had been after me to for a long time to adopt, but I wasn't ready. Then one day God spoke to my heart and I knew it was time. Since then life has been one crazy ride.
God gave me a passion for adoption, adoptees and their heritage and blessed me with the Hug Away Foundation to pursue that passion. When Hug Away became a non-profit the goal was to educate people and the community about adoption, when funds were available issue grants to help with the cost of adoption and help the orphans who could not be adopted. At the request of a whole lot of folks we are looking at other avenues for adoptees. The foundation has a great team working on this and so far the response has been more than we could have ever imagined. God is so good. If you are faithful to His call on your life He will bless you. It may not be easy but in His perfect time He will make it happen. Our goal is not about making money or noteriety but to focus on God and His desire for all the lives we will touch through the foundation.

FYI

I have been fasting since 10 pm last Monday night. I wish I could say it was my choice but it wasn't. I am having a procedure today so...
I have had some friends email me about the little girl I mentioned in my previous post. Well, I have been in prayer and I emailed for some more information. The good news is others have shown interest but no one has been called to adopt her. My husband and I are in prayer. Again Gods will. I will say this, Our Cami was a waiting child. She came very close to going back into the system and labeled unadoptable. But our God and His perfect timing brought us together. What a blessing our family would have missed. I rest assured in the fact that the family God planned for her will step up.
Some of you have asked me for my email. If you like I have a facebook page so you can contact me that away or through hugawayfoundation@cox.net
Speaking of Hug Away! I am so excited!!! We are venturing out into another arena. I will post more about it as soon as it is set in stone but it is going to be AWESOME! There is a terrific team working on the "education" part of our foundation. It is going to be exciting and the response we have had so far is incredible and very positive.
Well I better go! Please say a prayer for my friend Ms. Pat today. We love her and she is pretty sick right now.

You Know!

You know, that you know, that you know. My pastor says that often. What does he mean? Well, it depends on the situation. On this day I know, that I know, that I know that God knows I have done everything in my power to be faithful, patient and persevere through this last year. I have had to change a lot in the way I think and act. Today, He opened the window and let a light of hope shine in! It was small but exactly what I needed at exactly the time I needed it. I knew right then He was hearing my prayers. I know that someday I will look back at this time and thank God for it. It has made me more faithful, stronger and has changed my walk with the Lord for the better.
God has also placed a little girl in China on my heart. I am not quite sure if she came to me or I came to her, but she is now on my heart. Now for those of my friends who are freaking out thinking "ARE YOU CRAZY!" Stop right there. I have no idea why we were brought together, but I do not question God. Are we too adopt her? I have not had that confirmed in my heart nor has it been pushed away. Am I just to pray for her too find a family? Always!
But a few things of interest and you are welcome to give me your thoughts on this.

1. Out of all the orphans I have access to she is the only one who can be adopted by parents up to 55 and the only one who was placed on my heart.
2. When she was put on my heart I thought "Oh know you have to be kidding?" no response, but to pray.
3. I reached for a stack of verses that were laying on the table and in my very human way said "Ok God give me a verse to show me what this means. One side has a quote the other a bible verse. I see the quote first, one of my favorites. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson . The bible verse was,
" By their fruit you will recognize them." Matthew 7:16
4. That same day a very good friend who has adopted three children from China in the last 4 or 5 years 2 in the last year and a half emailed me to say they were feeling lead to adopt again. They have 6 like us and a pretty good age range.
5. Out of pure curiosity this morning I asked Kennedy who always says " no more babies" if she would ever want a little sister. For the first time the answer was ''yes."
6. Then this window of hope opened this morning.

My plans were to be a lawyer, have a husband and have 2 boys and 2 girls and save the world and have awith a fancy house, blah blah blah. God had a much better plan for my life. One very important thing I havefound out on this journey is the fact I do not need stuff and prestige too be happy. I need God. Simple as that. What ever He desires for my life I am happy with that. So, please pray that Gods will is done.