Depraved Indifference

PLEASE take the time to watch this video

It is beyond difficult to know that we have TWO children sitting in an orphanage 

in one of the most dangerous countries in the world

It is heart breaking knowing that they go to sleep each night without the love of a family

It is so hard for us to sit and feel as though we are

POWERLESS

Did you know that the Democratic Republic of Congo is the SECOND most dangerous place in the ENTIRE WORLD for women? 

Can you imagine knowing that you had to wake up EVERY day of YOUR LIFE with great fear that you could be raped, mutilated or murdered? 

Can you imagine someone breaking into YOUR home and taking YOUR children just to build their army of hate?

Can you imagine YOUR wife, YOUR mother YOUR sister or  YOUR daughter being taken and used as a sex slave for hate filled warriors?

Where MY children are... it is called the "rape capital of the world"

What if YOUR children were there?

It is said that nearly 48 women PER HOUR are raped in the Democratic Republic of Congo 

48 WOMEN EVERY HOUR ARE RAPED

When I ask you to pray for our children does this help you understand the URGENCY of the need?

When I ask you to pray for me, their mommy, it is because I am awake WEEPING trying to NIGHTLY place them in the Father's hands.. knowing I can do NOTHING to comfort, protect or help them.

Do you understand that when I BEG for your financial help, it is not because it just takes the burden off a us a little... NOT AT ALL! It is because I do NOT have $40,000 PLUS dollars sitting in an account and I NEED IT! I need to bring my children home and that is one HUGE step in getting them here. 

This week has been very hard for me

I don't think I have ever written a post like this but my heart is OVERWHELMED

God has called us to be their parents.

They are OUR responsibility

Until now They have had  NO ONE fighting for them, no one being their VOICE!

The second we saw their faces... ALL OF THAT CHANGED!!

 

This is

US 

FIGHTING FOR THEM 

" Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless "

Isaiah 1:17

PS...sometimes a MOMMA SNAPS ;)

 

I like to MOVE IT MOVE IT

While daddy is away... the family will....

GO SEE A MOVIE

I took the kiddos to see Madagascar 3 today. It was a super cute movie and kept us entertained 

on a soggy day. It didn't rain but everything was still a bit soggy from yesterday!

The unfortunate part of taking them to the movie is that I usually take them ALL to the summer movie special days. WHICH costs like $2 a child. So, today, when I went on up to the ticket counter and handed over $30.. I almost choked... then Bryson reminded me that I promised them popcorn if they cleaned their rooms. 

WOW.. what was I thinking?

BRIBING the innocent children with POPCORN

So, that cost us another $22

HOLY MOLY that was a trip for the records! They loved and I did too so it was worth it

ALSO... at VBS last week one of our missionaries was serving the people of Madagascar so it

was a great lesson and we were reminded to pray for them. 

Oh, there is a lesson in EVERYTHING!!

On ANOTHER... MORE IMPORTANT note..

My brother in law Matt came home from Africa today!

I can not wait to hear all of the amazing stories that he has to share

I know that God used him in some amazing ways and I am so excited to hear about it

He has already posted some pics of his SAFARI 

but here is a little teaser of what he saw

HAHA 

have a great night everyone!

A Reflection of HIM

I have had to ask myself lately

Do I truly reflect Christ in all that I say and do?

Do people more often hear what I am against than what I am for?

I am a follower of Christ

I desire to make His name known

If I do my part in being kingdom focused in my words and deeds, then won't people be drawn

to the Christ that I follow?

If the love that I have for people, sinners ( just like you and me) is consistently flowing out of a heart that fully understands grace and compassion won't that be more appealing to the person seeking Christ?

If I share HIS name is that more affective then letting one more person know that I don't agree with this or that? 

If you desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and you find yourself always striving to let the lost world know how lost they are... take rest! You can not expect lost people to live as though they have Christ. 

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

John 13:35 ( NLT)

Our love is what truly reflects Jesus Christ. When we look at His earthly ministry, he was among the people that we as christians tend to turn our noses up around
He was around the prostitutes, He was friends with the tax collectors, He showed
LOVE, MERCY, GRACE

He SAW people! He didn't see their sin as much as He saw their need for a Savior
I pray that my life would reflect HIM!
I pray that I would place my SELF aside, all of my opinions and judgements
I pray that I would cast them aside and learn to TRULY love the way that Jesus loves!

If you are a christian, most people know what you are against!
The saddest thing is that people may have NO idea what/ Who you are for

Is the list of things you're against saving souls?
Are your condemning words reaching a lost world or making them turn and walk away?
Are you a reflection of His grace, mercy and love?

a question that I have had to ask myself lately:

How will they see HIM if I am standing in the WAY

The Road To Motherhood

The road to motherhood is different for each of us

Some roads are lined with roses and filled with sunshine and smooth stones

HOWEVER

Some of those roads are broken
just like mine

Finding out that I was pregnant at the age of 19 was devastating.

Cameron and I were then  married and soon after became a family of three.

We knew that this was not God's perfect plan for our family but we also knew that God is the Giver of Life and despite our poor choices, He had given us a daughter. She was never a consequence. Believe me when I say there were plenty of others that we had to walk through but she is not one of them.

My road to motherhood was lined with guilt and shame. Often parts of the road were simply impassable because a HUGE boulder of sadness would be stuck right in the middle of the road.

Growing up in a christian home allowed me to have an amazing foundation to fall to. Trust me... I was at rock bottom! It was in that time that I had truly set myself on autopilot. Something happened in my heart that forever changed me. I went from being someone that people looked up to to the girl that was basically marked with the "scarlet letter" Talk about TOUGH! It all happened overnight and took everything that I thought I was away from me. 

It was a road that I would have never chosen for myself. Its a road that the Lord did not have marked out for me. However, I would not be who I am today if I had not walked through the YUCK of that broken road. Walking over that broken and beaten path has strengthened my steps to follow after Him more. So many times when I felt SO alone I would have no one to cling to but the Father. I knew He heard my broken cry for Him!

I am a woman that understands brokenness. 

I know what it feels like to have people that loved you yesterday look at you as if you are worthless.

 I know how it feels to have my name sent out in a "prayer chain" that was never intended for good

 I am a woman that knows how it feels to have to sit in an office to see if you qualify for welfare.

I am a woman that knows the look of disappointment on people's faces

I am the woman that knows some of you will NEVER see more than the broken pieces of my story

 I am also a woman that 10 years later. looks NOTHING like the woman that stood at the start of this broken road. 

When the road seemed too difficult to find and the enemy wanted to continue blinding me with shame, God spoke gently to my heart and encouraged me to press on one more day. Take one more step towards HIM! When the chaos and fear were too loud, He would speak in His still small voice to my heart. 

I assure you that I am a testimony that He truly does make ALL THINGS NEW!

My prayer is that my road to motherhood is always a reminder of how much I need my Savior!

How much the Father loves me and how much GRACE HE has shown 

I want my heart to beat after the things of the Lord! 

Motherhood is such a blessing and I am honored that He has chosen to give me three children for the past several years.
I see that my broken road has led me  HERE...

To a place that is still marked with daily struggles and hurdles. To a place where grace, love and mercy abound!
From a 19 year old unmarried pregnant teenager to a woman that God has called to
adopt two children with a broken road of their own.
I simply stand in AWE of His amazing grace! He has SO MUCH work left to do in me and I simply place myself in the Potter's hands. For I know that HIS WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS and HIS THOUGHTS ARE NOT OUR THOUGHTS... so its best if I just step aside and watch him work :)

Happy Belated Mother's Day
and may your story of motherhood be

ALL FOR HIS GLORY

  My precious Alyssa HOPE

Ready, Set GLOW

 LIVE in the LIGHT

GLOW in the DARK

Who wouldn't have an amazing time at a

BLACKLIGHT DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT?!?!

It was CRAZY! So many people worked SO hard to have a great night for our youth as well as youth in our community. We went into the night not sure exactly how many students would show up. The students continued pouring in  most of the night.

They were decked out in some major BATTLE gear. I was totally not prepared for the fierce outfits that I saw! Let me just say...I was intimidated. The students ( and adults) were decked out in everything florescent. They were ready for lights out. The AMAZING was added to by everyone decorating their faces, legs, shirts and everything else with highlighters. These kids looked awesome

and were having a GREAT TIME!

The thing that I loved most was that most of the students were visitors. We knew that

this would have a great impact but had no idea what God had in store

For the first bit the students chatted and played around...testing their dodgeball skills before the big 'T"

Also, warming up their arms...no time for cramps or weak 'girly' arms out there! After that, we all ate hamburgers and snacks. We then went into the praise room to hear the testimony of a student. Then Justin Deweese, our youth pastor, shared the Gospel. 

As he was speaking I simply felt the urge to PRAY!

The battle tonight was so much bigger than what was happening on the court. 

The battle for these students lives is FIERCE...stronger and more difficult than any battle they would face tonight.

When ETERNITY hangs in the balance, you can be assured the enemy wants nothing more than to distract, disrupt and destroy anything that the Holy Spirit could be doing.

I prayed, almost pleaded with the Lord to keep the enemy away for that moment. I prayed for lives to be changed!

FORTY THREE students...gave their lives to Christ tonight!!!

That is 43 more brothers and sisters in Christ TODAY! All of heaven is REJOICING tonight

Let us not grow apathetic to the LOST world around us! PEOPLE NEED CHRIST!!! We know HIM...why are we NOT sharing? I ask myself that same question often...

Here are two photos from tonight :)

Lights Up

 Game Time!!

We had our home study today...will chat about that tomorrow :)

In the still of the night

While most of you are tucked away in your beds sleeping...

I am AWAKE

It is an every night occurrence

From the moment that Cameron suggested we request information on the twins
my mind will NOT rest

As soon as I tuck my three little ones into their cozy beds, my mind immediately
travels to a place thousands of miles away

My heart and mind LONG to know

are these precious babies going to bed hungry

do they feel safe

has someone hugged them at all today

do they know they are loved

did someone tuck them in or do they even have a bed to sleep in

when they cry out at night, does someone run to comfort them

baby boy is coughing in the video that we received...is he still sick?

are they cold, lonely, scared?

The questions swirl through my mind faster than I can grab hold of an answer

The knowledge that THEY ARE OUT THERE...in a country that is known for its danger

Oh, this mommy  yearns for the day that I can know they are tucked in and sleeping upstairs, I long to know that I can sing them to sleep when they cry out at night.
We long for the day that we can wrap them in our arms and let them know THEY ARE LOVED.
We want to wrap baby boy in our arms and get him the medicine he needs to feel better.
We want them here with us

On the nights that the distance seems to far I am reminded that the Father is lovingly watching over and caring for these precious babies more than I ever could imagine. He loves them far more than I can comprehend and has loved them before I even knew them. He created them, loves them and longs for relationship with them.

In the midst of the chaos that lies in Congo...HE IS OUR MIGHTY WARRIOR, SHIELD AND DEFENDER

In the sorrow of the lonley nights in Congo...He IS the FRIEND THAT STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER

In the worldy hunger they may face..HE is the BREAD OF LIFE

In sickness...HE IS OUR HEALER

In the orphanage where they wait for us...HE IS THE GREAT I AM

and HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY,TODAY AND FOREVER

My arms are not more comforting than those of our Heavenly Father
My voice is not more soothing than the sound of HIS precious whispers of love
My home is not more safe than the palm of His hand

Sweet babies,
We are coming. We can not wait to hold you, show you how much we love you, and most of all we can not wait to tell you about your Heavenly Father that watched over you while we were on our journey to find you. We can not wait to lead you to the One who knit you together in your mother's womb and set you apart for such a special purpose!
You are special, beautiful and such a treasure!

Holding you in our hearts! MOMMY

Chilly and Blessed

Yesterday it happened to be around 80+ degrees here in TN...today on the other hand I think its a whopping FOUR degrees! Not really but it is COLD! I am not a fan of cold weather in the least bit! Especially winter weather on fall break..it just takes a bit of the desire to be outside out of me. I would prefer to be cuddled up in front of a fire downstairs! That only lasts so long with the kiddos...even when smores are involved!

Its been a great fall break so far though! We have not done anything spectacular. We've not gone anywhere that has blown our minds but the greatest thing has been spending time with each other. While there have been plenty of moments that I have thought these crazies may never stop arguing over what color the wall is or if sleeveless shirts on boys are really cool....I am still in love with these three munchkins! I have often sat back and watched them play ( or argue) and I am just blown away that God has chosen me to be their mommy. Most of the times I feel 100% inadequate for the job. I feel that maybe I don't say the right things, or solve the issues well enough BUT I do know that I try with all of my heart to truly be the mommy that these three need.

So, today on this rainy, cold, dreary day I am HAPPY~ BLESSED~ and a little chilly! I also thank the Lord for opening my eyes a little today to the four gifts that He has given me in my children and hubby!