Under Attack

To say this week has been a challenge would be a understatement. What I have been called by God to do has been attacked and why I do it has been attacked. First let me say that you can attack me I will get over it but when you attack a ministry that God has called me to do then you are attacking God. Yes that's right God. What makes it worse is being attacked by someone you thought you were close to and love very much. This verbal attack made me question what God had called me to do and doubting myself. Sadly, this will probably give great pleasure to my "critic." But the pleasure will not last long because I know from years of studying by bible and Life Support classes that many times when you are preparing to do Gods work satan will attack in many forms and many ways. He will use people you love, thought were your friends and believed in what you were called to do. Through them satan will attack your mind, your heart and your spirit. This is when you put on the armor of God and prepare to fight the good fight!
I would like to hit on some of the point of attacks that I received to clarify a few things. Not only for myself but for others who are called to a ministry.

• Its all about me. This person thought since I blog and facebook about my life and ministry that I was choosing to be in the lime light. Nothing could be further from the truth. How do you expect to us to make people aware? Are we suppose to just sit there and pray that people will know? Jesus commands us to "Go out into the world" not sit on your butts and wait for the world to come to you. We are His servants doing what He has commanded all Christians to do. It doesn't mean every Christian needs to be a missionary or travel the world. He can call you to help in your neighborhood, work in a ministry at your church that will make a difference in someones life, help the homeless in your town, be a mentor to a child, have a sports ministry, The list goes on and on. He is the vine and we are the branches. He has given all Christians a gift but it is up to you to find out what your gift is and use it. Don't waste it.

You think you can save the world. I have to admit this one made me chuckle. Who am I Superwoman? Gee didn't know I was such a threat or had so much power. That is a ridiculous thing to say or think. Only God can save the world! But do I think I can make a difference in the world. You betcha! Why would I be so bold to think this? Because the God I serve tells me that nothing is impossible with Him!

Always asking for something.  If I was Bill Gates I wouldn't ask for a thing. But I'm not so I ask. See some people have money and are willing to donate some of it to make a difference. I know people who don't have a lot of money but who feel led to give. In order to help others it takes money and that is just the way it is. And yes I ask volunteers to help me with fundraisers. I do a lot of the work with our ministry but my husband and I both believe if you don't ask others to help you are depriving them of a blessing, to be blessed and a opportunity to make a difference.

Other things were said and it hurt? It all hurt. I mean I had no clue that someone that I thought loved me as much as I love them could think these things about me and feel this way towards me. And of course when your a Christian and you confront someone who has attacked you that is the first thing they throw back in your face." Oh I thought you were a Christian." Like that makes it ok for you to say whatever you want to me but because I am a Christian I should just take it? Sorry but that is not the way it works. Now I am not going to slap you or curse you but I am going to be honest with you and then go back to focusing on what God has called me to do. In the bible David dealt with this.
Before facing Goliath, David had to deal with a critic, his own brother Eliab, who said:
"I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." (1 Samuel 17:28)
David ignored this critic because what Eliab said was a lie. That's a good lesson for us. Turning his attention back to Goliath, David saw through the giant's taunts. Even as a young shepherd, David understood what it meant to be a servant of God.
This is my story this week just a different time and a different place. The awesome thing is satan didn't win! I will keep doing what God has called me to do knowing that I will face critics from time to time but I will fight the good fight because I serve an awesome God!

Mommy how do you......

Last night Kennedy walked up to me and said "mommy how do you ask Jesus to come into your heart?" Now we had talked about this a few weeks ago and she said she did but at the time I felt she truly wasn't ready. I thought when she was ready she would know. Last night she was ready.


I was busy working on some things for the foundation when she asked me. As soon as she asked she just crawled up in my lap laid down and looked up at me with this most precious, innocent, amazing expression and said Ok mommy I am ready." Yes she was.

She never took her eyes off me as I explained this wonderful plan God had made for us called salvation. She took in every word. When she was ready to pray and ask Jesus into her heart it was so precious. After we said the prayer of salvation she had this big smile on her face and was jumping around! She said "momma can I go wake up daddy and tell him I have Jesus in my heart? Can I go tell Jordan? Can I tell Cameron?"
It was truly something to behold.

I thought how happy Jesus is when we finally say "yes I believe in you and want you in my life." Maybe He starts jumping around with a big smile on His face and wants to tell everyone! .

Kennedy was born in Vietnam and lived in a orphanage the first 2 1/2 years of her life. From the moment I met her at the orphanage I knew that God had chosen her for our family. We were going to adopt from China and He took us to a precious little girl waiting for us in Vietnam!

Kennedy in Vietnam





God has a plan for all of us. Ask Him into your heart and be amazed! You may even want to jump up and down and tell everyone!!! I hope so!

Kennedy 3 years later

Our own kind

I was talking to a friend yesterday about how hard it is to raise money for orphans. We run into lots of reasons why people choose not to give but the one that blows me away is "we need to take of our own kind here in America."
I remember when we adopted Jordan a man at our church, a friend came up and asked us why we didnt' adopt " our own kind." Without missing a beat Mike said we did "the human kind!" Mind you I had only been a christian for about 5 years so this really disheartened me. That man never said another word to us again and eventually we never saw him again.
We are all of one kind. We are humans and God created each one of us. As for helping children in the United Sates, of course they need to be taken care. No child in America should be without a family, go hungry or suffer abuse of any kind. No child any where should be subject to any of this. The difference is that there are literally thousands of agencies and people in America fighting for these children. They raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, some millions to fight child disease, hunger, abuse and to promote adoption. Do some of these precious children fall through the cracks? Sadly yes. But the facts are there is help for all of them.
As for the many children in other countries this is not the case. We work in Ethiopia and if we do not try to raise the money to help them they go without food, water, clothes, shelter, school and die of diseases that are easily treated here in America. They have no advocates except for people like you and me that will step out of our box and help them.
God calls Christians to go out into the world show others love and help those in need no matter where they are. Staying in a "box" does not do anything for anyone.
All of us should step out of our box and go wherever God has called us. It may be Ethiopia, Vietnam or China. It may be in your neighborhood. Just go and do what He has called you to do. You will be blessed!

One of our sweeties with her daddy waiting for a sponsor.

My Sons

I wanted to talk a little bit about three very special guys in my life, my sons. The reason I wanted to talk about them is because of a question someone asked me the other day.  When you have adopted children of a different race you are asked some very odd, rude and intrusive questions. But the one I was asked the other day actually stunned me. That is not easy to do.
I was at a store returning something and the lady saw a picture of my daughters and we began talking about adoption. I told her that I also have three sons that were grown and on their own. She asked if they were adopted and I told her no. She looks at me with this "awww you poor thing" and says " So you adopted your daughters because you didn't want your sons huh? " WHAT????????
Where in our simple conversation did I ever imply such a horrible thing? It took a second to but finally I looked her in the eye and said " No that is not the reason. We love all of our children the same and they are all gifts from God. 
Yes I am an advocate for adoption and orphans. And yes you will see me post about those subjects more than others. But that has no bearing on how much I love and how devoted I am to my sons. They are not only amazing sons but they are also amazing brothers. They love their little sisters more than anyone can ever imagine. They carry their pictures around showing them off,  they brag about them and they are very protective of them. Our sons have big hearts, love their family and are never embarrassed to say it or show it.
And their little sister feel the same way. They love their brothers so much! When they come over the girls get so excited and you would think it had been years since they have seen each other!

So when I am out there speaking for those who have no voice, and trying to raise money for the foundation or trying to find sponsor for our children in Ethiopia remember I have three amazing young men who support what God has called me to do and I am blessed to call them my sons.

Mike

                  Cody

Dustin

Chill

Lately I have had this need to "chill." As much as I love my chaos I have come to realize that I just need to relax and do nothing. Doing nothing allows me to be quiet and enjoy time with God. No phones, computers, radio or people. Just me, my thoughts and God.
My favorite place is the ocean but since one isn't close by my backyard comes in second. I love my backyard. It has lots of trees, it faces the west so I try to go out right before dusk and watch the sunset. I am one of those people who feel God when the breeze blows on my face or the sun is shining on my face. I see God in the sunsets, the moon, the trees, the birds. I hear God when I am quiet. He ask us to be still and know Him.
Life is busy but that doesn't stop us from spending time on the computer, wathcing sports or going to the mall. Sadly most of us just can't seem to find the tme to be quiet with God.

Since I have made this decision my attitude is much more relaxed. I have more peace. You know what they say "don't sweat the small stuff." I hope you will find some time to "chill" with God. 

Asking

If you read my blogs you know my husband and I founded the Hug Away Foundation. We are advocates for adoption and orphans. Right now my main priority is finding sponsors for some children in Ethiopia. We have 90 children and many are still waiting for sponsors.
We have a website www.hugaway.org and a blog: www.titus3project.blogspot.com We also help the school they attend once they have a sponsor. I am traveling to Ethiopia in October with a friend of mine and we hope to add a kitchen to the school. For the time being the sweet lady who founded the school is making the meals at her home and carrying them to the school.
One of the down sides to all of this is that I am constantly asking for donations, monthly donors,sponsors or having to come up with ways to raise money. I may ask 100 people for help and get one response. It is very disheartening at times. I often think I can't do this much longer and what is the point. Then God speaks to my heart and I am reminded that we have been called by Him to help those who need us. Everything we have is a blessing from God and we are to share with those who have little or nothing.
I have found that people don't like seeing pictures or even think that there are kids who are starving to death, live in conditions unfit for humans, are targets for sex trafficker, or they are dying because they don't have a simple medicine that could save them. Yeah it is hard to look at those faces and to be honest it isn't my favorite thing to do. Let's face it denial is much easier. And asking for money, well I would rather have a tooth pulled. Uncomfortable? yes. Impossible? no. It is a step of faith.
I found this quote and thought it pretty much said it all.

...orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.

They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.

It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms...

.... but once you do, everything changes.

So when you & I hear staggering numbers & statistics about the poor & needy around us & around the world, we have a choice.
We can switch the channels on our mega T.V’s and continue our comfortable, untroubled, ordinary, church-going lives as if the global poor don’t exist.

We can let these numbers remain cold, distant, and almost imaginary....

Or we can open our eyes and our lives to the realities that surround us and begin considering the faces that are represented by these numbers.”
-David Platt



This is the sweetie I sponsor



Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Brandon Heath

Chaos

Can I just say there is never a dull moment at my house? NEVER!!!! I am not complaining, not at all. As a matter of fact I find the ongoing chaos amusing and I love it. I beleive even when I go to sleep during those few moments I rarely get of deep sleep, what is it called? RPM, RAN or REM? Whatever, it doesnt' matter I don't get enough of it anyway! But back to the point. I beleive that during those moments my sleep is chaotic!
When I come home from work my dog who is usally the first to greet me at the door has this whine like he is trying to tell me the events of his day. Then instead of a hello the first thing out of Kennedys mouth is "can I?" Cameron gives me a beautiful smile an says "what's for dinner momma?" Jordan is just thankful I am home and retreats to her room and Mike needs to know if he has clean jeans and underwear. This is before I have made it all the way into the living room!
If I am so blessed to get out of my scrubs and into something more comfortable and I am not in need of a 15 minute power nap it's off to make dinner where my faithful audience of 1 Cameron will help in anyway she can so we can hurry up and get the meal on the table! Throw in a few loads of laundry where on a good day I can collect up to $20 in tips! I use to give it back but after years of lectures on cleaning out our pockets they know better. With three girls you know there is a lot of talking, that would be mostly Kennedy with her many opinions and questions. Back to the kitchen to make sure we cleaned up everything and dream of the day the remodel from>>>> is done! Finish up a load of laundry, work on Hug Away and by 11:30 off to grab some of those RPM or REM things! And that is after I get home. Morning is another story.
I would not have it any other way! I love my life chaos and all! My mornings always begin with a thank you to God for my life and time with Him. My day ends with a thank you to God and knowing how blessed I am.
Some people need things to make them happy. I need my chaos :)
Welcome to my world!