I was driving home yesterday from the many errands of the holiday season. Thinking about the 'hustle bustle' of the season. So many of us run to and fro trying to get everything done for the special day, Christmas.
This especially lands on moms, grandmothers and those that are the caretakers of the family. We want everything to be perfect for our family and loved ones. Why? Because it's how we show them that we love them. I have been a homemaker for 32 years and take great pleasure in creating an envorinment of peace and warmth in my home. This especially rings true when everyone is gathered together at Christmastime. So there is a method to my madness and a reason I run to and fro, I want it to be very special for my family.
As I was driving home, I was reflecting on these thoughts and how grateful I am to God for allowing me to steward such an amazing group of people, my family! I sensed in my heart, some thoughts, some words, they came to me. "Live on Purpose, For My Purpose".
I glanced at the river as I was driving. This is the Cowlitz river which flows down from Mt. Rainier into the Columbia. I noticed big chunks of ice and debris floating in it. We have had some rain and it breaks loose the debris and it floats down and out into the Columbia. I immediately had the thought so much of our lives can be like that, just float along, be swept along, kind of mindlessly without purpose. I was struck with the symbolism of it! We must choose to swim upstream on purpose, against the flow of temptation, the world and our own doubts and fears.
I also noticed some of the sea lions that come up river swimming against the current because they have a purpose. The smelt come from the Pacific ocean and up the Columbia and up the Cowlitz this time of year. Well, those sea lions are very bright and they follow the food! They actually enjoy it! Fighting the current, dodging the debris, because they know they will be rewarded for their efforts. We are called to be fishers of men, and God wants us to enjoy the journey upstream. In fact so much so, that He says, "Here, is My Strength, My Grace to make it easier and so much more enjoyable!
We must 'on purpose' put on the love of Christ, choose to love even when it hurts. Forgive when it would be easier to demand justice. Believe God to use us, despite our shortcomings and mistakes! And 'on purpose' put compassion into action, making someone's life brighter whether it's an orphan or the next door neighbor. We can't afford any longer to complacently and apathetically 'float along'. There is a lost and dying world out there that needs someone to turn against the tide and swim upstream, making a difference!
We have to refuse to do nothing and do something to put Jesus' love on display, and if necessary use words. Not only preaching the good news, but being the good news, on purpose. So, what God given dreams and visions lay buried in your heart? Dare to ask Him, what they are.
This year at our women's conference we were posed 2 questions. First, "Lord, how much do you love me?" And second, "What did you have in mind when I was created?" I will leave you with those questions. And when He answers because He most assuredly will, dare to 'Live on Purpose with His Purpose!'
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Journey
June 10, 2009
I'm am writing this note, because of the journey I've been on the last 20 months. To say the least it's been an incredible one. Sometimes filled with some emotional ups and downs, but a journey worth taking.It all started in October of 2007. We have an annual women's conference at our church. The guest speaker is Chene' Tucker, she has become a trusted friend of our church. A servant of God in the truest sense of the word. One of the qualities I love about her ministry is she prays for every woman that attends the conference, no small feat. At this conference, I am very occupied with praying for it, it consumes me actually, for the previous weeks and days leading up to it.I want every woman to be ministered to, and to come away knowing Jesus better. I know that sounds so simplistic, but isn't that what every pastor, leader in the Body of Christ should desire? It's my greatest desire. And I have never been disappointed. The Lord is faithful. Well, this particular October, of 2007, she prayed for me. A short, simple prayer really, "The Lord is going to give you the international vision.", was the prayer. I have learned a few things, over the years, and instead of going on the rollercoaster of, "I wonder if it's this, or could it be that", which is my usual response! I decided, with much help from the Helper Himself, to leave it alone. My heart engaged with the prayer, but my head wasn't going to play the games it usually does.This was the right way to go, because about a month later, during a worship service, I was niclely minding myself, worshipping my God, and suddenly I had a vision, now when I say this, for me, not one given to visions, in my heart I saw Asian girls. Not just a few, but many, little girls, school aged girls and teens and young women. Ummm, I was taken by surprise, and just decided to pray about it and keep it tucked in my heart. My heart was very touched and the waterworks started to flow.I am not a very emotional person, but when the Presence touches my heart, the response is usually quick and very wet! Face, cheeks, chin, sometimes shirt! Well, this was one of those occasions. And it left me with more questions then answers.This was the beginning of my journey and a journey in which I found myself holding onto His Hand and asking alot of questions.I will be continuing this journey with anyone who wants to read it. It is meant ot be a source of encouragement to the readers, and a testimony of our Awesome God.
I'm am writing this note, because of the journey I've been on the last 20 months. To say the least it's been an incredible one. Sometimes filled with some emotional ups and downs, but a journey worth taking.It all started in October of 2007. We have an annual women's conference at our church. The guest speaker is Chene' Tucker, she has become a trusted friend of our church. A servant of God in the truest sense of the word. One of the qualities I love about her ministry is she prays for every woman that attends the conference, no small feat. At this conference, I am very occupied with praying for it, it consumes me actually, for the previous weeks and days leading up to it.I want every woman to be ministered to, and to come away knowing Jesus better. I know that sounds so simplistic, but isn't that what every pastor, leader in the Body of Christ should desire? It's my greatest desire. And I have never been disappointed. The Lord is faithful. Well, this particular October, of 2007, she prayed for me. A short, simple prayer really, "The Lord is going to give you the international vision.", was the prayer. I have learned a few things, over the years, and instead of going on the rollercoaster of, "I wonder if it's this, or could it be that", which is my usual response! I decided, with much help from the Helper Himself, to leave it alone. My heart engaged with the prayer, but my head wasn't going to play the games it usually does.This was the right way to go, because about a month later, during a worship service, I was niclely minding myself, worshipping my God, and suddenly I had a vision, now when I say this, for me, not one given to visions, in my heart I saw Asian girls. Not just a few, but many, little girls, school aged girls and teens and young women. Ummm, I was taken by surprise, and just decided to pray about it and keep it tucked in my heart. My heart was very touched and the waterworks started to flow.I am not a very emotional person, but when the Presence touches my heart, the response is usually quick and very wet! Face, cheeks, chin, sometimes shirt! Well, this was one of those occasions. And it left me with more questions then answers.This was the beginning of my journey and a journey in which I found myself holding onto His Hand and asking alot of questions.I will be continuing this journey with anyone who wants to read it. It is meant ot be a source of encouragement to the readers, and a testimony of our Awesome God.
The Journey Continues
June 11, 2009
This journey has been a truly amazing one, it's been a season of change and rearrange in my heart. My thoughts, my faith, my heart has been really challenged. And it has been one of the greatest times of my life with the Lord.The vision of the girls was on a Sunday in November of 2007. I instantly knew in my heart they were Chinese. I prayed for them, and pondered the vision. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays in our church sanctuary we open up the doors for prayer in the midday. There is a faithful prayer warrior there every time the doors are open. She is like Anna in the gospel of Luke:2-36-37. We are honored and privileged that the Lord has called her to our house of worship, and I will be eternally grateful for her faithfulness to pray for us and the people of Northgate.I am there 90% of the time, if I am not traveling or ill. But she is always there! We rarely talk, just say hello and get to the business at hand. Well, on this particular Tuesday, before prayer, she handed me a book. She said, "Mary, I think you need to read this." I really didn't look at it closely, but said, 'Ok". During the prayer time I picked it up and took a look. The title of the book is 'Safely Home'. A fictional story about the persecuted church in China! Needless to say, I was a little rattled, and set it down again. And I just kind of kept looking over at it once in a while, realizing that the timing of this was pretty amazing.I decided later to read it, in January, when I went to Texas to be with my daughter Katie and her husband and new baby granddaughter, Charis. Nanna was coming and coming to stay for quite a while. I felt like, I'll 'deal' with it then! I thought I could read it late at night, I like to take a new book with me when I travel, so this would be the one.In December of 2007, I had a dream. This dream, took my breath away. In the dream, I was sitting in my living room, where I live now, and a little girl was twirling and spinning and showing off her pretty dress. I was clapping, and laughing and really enjoying her. This little girl was Chinese. She was about four or maybe five. I woke up thinking and believing this dream was from God. So, what did it mean? I remembered the vision, the book I was about to read, and now this dream? God? What is going on, Father? Then I decided to make it a matter of prayer, especially when I went to Texas.I didn't breathe a word of this to anyone. I wanted to process what was going on, not realizing at the time, God was taking me through a huge process! I was in the middle of His Process! It's funny when we pray, "Holy Spirit, rearrange me, mess with me, do whatever you want", and then when He does it, it freaks us out!So, I went to Texas, enjoyed my time with my kids and granddaughter and began reading the book. I could not put it down! I sensed in a strange way, that this book was intregal in the journey. The book began to mess with me, majorly, about what the persecuted church goes through in China and throughout the world. It was very unsettling, so much so, it kept me up at night! God began to 'open my heart' to China.Well, there is so much more to this journey, if you'll hang in there with me, I believe you will be blessed. Interested? Keep reading.
This journey has been a truly amazing one, it's been a season of change and rearrange in my heart. My thoughts, my faith, my heart has been really challenged. And it has been one of the greatest times of my life with the Lord.The vision of the girls was on a Sunday in November of 2007. I instantly knew in my heart they were Chinese. I prayed for them, and pondered the vision. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays in our church sanctuary we open up the doors for prayer in the midday. There is a faithful prayer warrior there every time the doors are open. She is like Anna in the gospel of Luke:2-36-37. We are honored and privileged that the Lord has called her to our house of worship, and I will be eternally grateful for her faithfulness to pray for us and the people of Northgate.I am there 90% of the time, if I am not traveling or ill. But she is always there! We rarely talk, just say hello and get to the business at hand. Well, on this particular Tuesday, before prayer, she handed me a book. She said, "Mary, I think you need to read this." I really didn't look at it closely, but said, 'Ok". During the prayer time I picked it up and took a look. The title of the book is 'Safely Home'. A fictional story about the persecuted church in China! Needless to say, I was a little rattled, and set it down again. And I just kind of kept looking over at it once in a while, realizing that the timing of this was pretty amazing.I decided later to read it, in January, when I went to Texas to be with my daughter Katie and her husband and new baby granddaughter, Charis. Nanna was coming and coming to stay for quite a while. I felt like, I'll 'deal' with it then! I thought I could read it late at night, I like to take a new book with me when I travel, so this would be the one.In December of 2007, I had a dream. This dream, took my breath away. In the dream, I was sitting in my living room, where I live now, and a little girl was twirling and spinning and showing off her pretty dress. I was clapping, and laughing and really enjoying her. This little girl was Chinese. She was about four or maybe five. I woke up thinking and believing this dream was from God. So, what did it mean? I remembered the vision, the book I was about to read, and now this dream? God? What is going on, Father? Then I decided to make it a matter of prayer, especially when I went to Texas.I didn't breathe a word of this to anyone. I wanted to process what was going on, not realizing at the time, God was taking me through a huge process! I was in the middle of His Process! It's funny when we pray, "Holy Spirit, rearrange me, mess with me, do whatever you want", and then when He does it, it freaks us out!So, I went to Texas, enjoyed my time with my kids and granddaughter and began reading the book. I could not put it down! I sensed in a strange way, that this book was intregal in the journey. The book began to mess with me, majorly, about what the persecuted church goes through in China and throughout the world. It was very unsettling, so much so, it kept me up at night! God began to 'open my heart' to China.Well, there is so much more to this journey, if you'll hang in there with me, I believe you will be blessed. Interested? Keep reading.
Enjoying the Journey
June 13, 2209
I needed to take a break from the writing, it has so consumed me. After I write, I am excited all over again. I have made the mistake of writing in the evening and then find myself wide awake way into the wee morning hours. I am very passsionate about Jesus, about who He is, and what He is doing so I can't just shut it off, if you know what I mean. I have been described as hyper and vivacious, by my close friends, and although I certainly agree, it goes much deeper. It's the Passion, always, the undercurrent perculating in my heart.I have been realizing as I get older, that it really is all about Jesus, and His plans and purposes for our lives. The fact that He has chosen to speak to me blows me away, and it takes awhile to recover, so when I write I am blown away all over again. I can really sense His Presence and compassion, when I wirte, one of the reasons I must write this in pieces. Thank you all, for coming on this journey with me and My Lord, and for bearing with me. I did go to Texas, and greet my brand new granddaughter, Charis. It was a very special time. Bonding with my oldest daughter Katie at a whole new level. She was now a mother, and what a tremendous mother she is. I just wanted to be of help, and they actually wanted me to stay with them for about a month. We live so far apart, that any time we get together is always special. Brian,who is so gracious, is a special young man to say the least. He is an excellent husband and father. So it was exciting times for all of us. Welcoming this new life into the family was such a treat!New life was happening in my heart, which paralleled the new life of my granddaughter. While Mommy and baby were napping, I woulld often check my email. There was an email from 'Voice of the Martyrs', which I thought was kind of unusual, since I never received one from this organization before. I opened it, and took a look and began to weep. It was about a pastor, a lady, in China who was in prison. The Father was opening the door of my heart wider, from a crack to a little wider look. I was being stirred and challenged by the book, 'Safely Home', and now the Lord was showing me the reality of the situation the persecuted church goes through, by sending me an email, with a name and a face of a 'real'person. This woman was in prison for sharing her faith, which we can do freely in this country. I journal. This is a good habit I picked up and got hooked on during a Mexico missons trip years earlier. The Lord was doing a change and rearrange during that trip, and I wanted to record everything as best as I could. Well, that habit did not leave me, I have continued to journal and document prayers, scriptures, answers to prayer, prophetic impressons from the Lord and documented miracles from the Lord. After reading this eamil, a light clicked on. I looked in my journal from Oct. 2007, and remembered the prayer from Chene'. that God was going to give me the international vision. I had a A Hah moment! The vision from Lord, The Vision is for China!!Then, I totally engaged in prayer, some of you as you read this are probably thinking" Hello!" But you have to realize this was God's timing and His plan to reveal to me. I began to engage in the Process, and it started to reveal more details. I started asking and seeking the Lord for specific answers. I revisted the dream, of the little girl dancing and twirling in my living room. (As I write, "I will dance with Cinderella" is playing on my ipod dock. It is on shuffle and there is 1000 songs on it. ) Ok, so i asked the Lord, the obvious question, "Do you want us to adopt?" Or does that little girl represent something or someone in China, Lord I want answers. He was faithful to answer and give so much confirmation over the next many months, and I will continue the story tomorrow. The waterworks decided to flow again, so I am going to go, until later.
I needed to take a break from the writing, it has so consumed me. After I write, I am excited all over again. I have made the mistake of writing in the evening and then find myself wide awake way into the wee morning hours. I am very passsionate about Jesus, about who He is, and what He is doing so I can't just shut it off, if you know what I mean. I have been described as hyper and vivacious, by my close friends, and although I certainly agree, it goes much deeper. It's the Passion, always, the undercurrent perculating in my heart.I have been realizing as I get older, that it really is all about Jesus, and His plans and purposes for our lives. The fact that He has chosen to speak to me blows me away, and it takes awhile to recover, so when I write I am blown away all over again. I can really sense His Presence and compassion, when I wirte, one of the reasons I must write this in pieces. Thank you all, for coming on this journey with me and My Lord, and for bearing with me. I did go to Texas, and greet my brand new granddaughter, Charis. It was a very special time. Bonding with my oldest daughter Katie at a whole new level. She was now a mother, and what a tremendous mother she is. I just wanted to be of help, and they actually wanted me to stay with them for about a month. We live so far apart, that any time we get together is always special. Brian,who is so gracious, is a special young man to say the least. He is an excellent husband and father. So it was exciting times for all of us. Welcoming this new life into the family was such a treat!New life was happening in my heart, which paralleled the new life of my granddaughter. While Mommy and baby were napping, I woulld often check my email. There was an email from 'Voice of the Martyrs', which I thought was kind of unusual, since I never received one from this organization before. I opened it, and took a look and began to weep. It was about a pastor, a lady, in China who was in prison. The Father was opening the door of my heart wider, from a crack to a little wider look. I was being stirred and challenged by the book, 'Safely Home', and now the Lord was showing me the reality of the situation the persecuted church goes through, by sending me an email, with a name and a face of a 'real'person. This woman was in prison for sharing her faith, which we can do freely in this country. I journal. This is a good habit I picked up and got hooked on during a Mexico missons trip years earlier. The Lord was doing a change and rearrange during that trip, and I wanted to record everything as best as I could. Well, that habit did not leave me, I have continued to journal and document prayers, scriptures, answers to prayer, prophetic impressons from the Lord and documented miracles from the Lord. After reading this eamil, a light clicked on. I looked in my journal from Oct. 2007, and remembered the prayer from Chene'. that God was going to give me the international vision. I had a A Hah moment! The vision from Lord, The Vision is for China!!Then, I totally engaged in prayer, some of you as you read this are probably thinking" Hello!" But you have to realize this was God's timing and His plan to reveal to me. I began to engage in the Process, and it started to reveal more details. I started asking and seeking the Lord for specific answers. I revisted the dream, of the little girl dancing and twirling in my living room. (As I write, "I will dance with Cinderella" is playing on my ipod dock. It is on shuffle and there is 1000 songs on it. ) Ok, so i asked the Lord, the obvious question, "Do you want us to adopt?" Or does that little girl represent something or someone in China, Lord I want answers. He was faithful to answer and give so much confirmation over the next many months, and I will continue the story tomorrow. The waterworks decided to flow again, so I am going to go, until later.
More of the Journey
June 14, 2009
Well, it's a new day, and actually a beautiful Sunday. It's quiet at my house, a rarity, so I am going to take this opportunity to continue writing.I began to realize in January of 2008, that the Lord was speaking to me about China. I returned from Texas and continued to seek the Lord about this China thing. I meet with a great friend, Kayla, once a week, and have coffee, well, I have water, not much of a coffee drinker, and we have God talks. I am her mentor, but I learn so much from her. We were at St. Arbucks, and I was brimming over with what the Lord had been doing in recent months. I shared briefly that I believed He was speaking to me about China. I talked to her about the book I read, 'Safely Home' and the vision and the dream. We were both amazed and continued to move on to other topics.A few days later she returned from a weekend away, and handed me a book. This time it was 'Heavenly Man', the true story of Brother Yun. He is the leader of the underground church in China. As I read this account of his life, the challenge and the change in my heart went deeper. My heart was very moved as I read the trials and challenges the persecuted church goes through just to live out their faith.In February of 2008, my husband and I went away to Sun River Or. for a prayer retreat.A couple from our church blessed us with the use of their timeshare condo. We were really looking forward to it.I am married to the best of men. He knew I wasn't myself lately and in the days leading up to the retreat had asked me if I was ok. I assured him, yes, that I would share what was going on in my heart when we were alone. We live in a house full of activity, so it's hard to have any lengthy discussions, we usually have to leave to talk to have any privacy.We walked and prayed and read. It was a wonderful and refreshing week. At times though, I would be so overwhelmed with thoughts of China, that I wanted to get away from it. I decided to pick up one of the books I had brought to forget for awhile. This is a book about the heroes of faith from the turn of the century. It is filled with minibiographies of missionaries and evangelists and church leaders from days gone by. I thought this would be an excellent distraction. I picked someone in the middle of the book, a widow from San Franscisco who owned a large Victorian home with lots of room. The Lord gave her a ministry to be a mom to missionaries that came off the field. She would cook for them and take care of them for a few days or a few weeks. She would minister to their needs. They left her feeling refreshed and ready to do God's work again.A couple came to her, you guessed it from China! She hadn't yet been filled with the Holy Spirit, and they prayed with her to receive her prayer language. At this time the Lord gave her a burden for CHINA! And her prayer language was Mandarin. Which was very remarkable, but even more remarkable to me was, even when I wanted to get away from it for a while I could not!!I had decided to tell my husband everything, the vision, the timing of receiving the book and the dream. On the last night we were there, we went to this great little Italian restaurant in Sun River. During dinner I started to share what I had been going through the last few months. First the vision, then the book, and lastly the dream. You have to know something, there is no one on earth I respect more or love than my husband, I never realized I could love one man so much and for 30 years too! He has been there through thick and thin and the valleys and the mountain tops. He has been an excellent husband and father to our six children, and a great provider. Through it all, he has remained my best best friend. The last thing I ever wanted to do was 'rock his world'!So the tears started and I asked him if he would be willing to pray about adopting. He looked down at his plate of food, probably losing his appetite, and said, "Yes, I am willing to pray." I loved him more at that moment than ever, because he is a man of his word, I knew he would pray.There is more to come, this is lengthy, but I don't want you, the reader, to miss any of the details. Our God is intricately involved in our lives.
Well, it's a new day, and actually a beautiful Sunday. It's quiet at my house, a rarity, so I am going to take this opportunity to continue writing.I began to realize in January of 2008, that the Lord was speaking to me about China. I returned from Texas and continued to seek the Lord about this China thing. I meet with a great friend, Kayla, once a week, and have coffee, well, I have water, not much of a coffee drinker, and we have God talks. I am her mentor, but I learn so much from her. We were at St. Arbucks, and I was brimming over with what the Lord had been doing in recent months. I shared briefly that I believed He was speaking to me about China. I talked to her about the book I read, 'Safely Home' and the vision and the dream. We were both amazed and continued to move on to other topics.A few days later she returned from a weekend away, and handed me a book. This time it was 'Heavenly Man', the true story of Brother Yun. He is the leader of the underground church in China. As I read this account of his life, the challenge and the change in my heart went deeper. My heart was very moved as I read the trials and challenges the persecuted church goes through just to live out their faith.In February of 2008, my husband and I went away to Sun River Or. for a prayer retreat.A couple from our church blessed us with the use of their timeshare condo. We were really looking forward to it.I am married to the best of men. He knew I wasn't myself lately and in the days leading up to the retreat had asked me if I was ok. I assured him, yes, that I would share what was going on in my heart when we were alone. We live in a house full of activity, so it's hard to have any lengthy discussions, we usually have to leave to talk to have any privacy.We walked and prayed and read. It was a wonderful and refreshing week. At times though, I would be so overwhelmed with thoughts of China, that I wanted to get away from it. I decided to pick up one of the books I had brought to forget for awhile. This is a book about the heroes of faith from the turn of the century. It is filled with minibiographies of missionaries and evangelists and church leaders from days gone by. I thought this would be an excellent distraction. I picked someone in the middle of the book, a widow from San Franscisco who owned a large Victorian home with lots of room. The Lord gave her a ministry to be a mom to missionaries that came off the field. She would cook for them and take care of them for a few days or a few weeks. She would minister to their needs. They left her feeling refreshed and ready to do God's work again.A couple came to her, you guessed it from China! She hadn't yet been filled with the Holy Spirit, and they prayed with her to receive her prayer language. At this time the Lord gave her a burden for CHINA! And her prayer language was Mandarin. Which was very remarkable, but even more remarkable to me was, even when I wanted to get away from it for a while I could not!!I had decided to tell my husband everything, the vision, the timing of receiving the book and the dream. On the last night we were there, we went to this great little Italian restaurant in Sun River. During dinner I started to share what I had been going through the last few months. First the vision, then the book, and lastly the dream. You have to know something, there is no one on earth I respect more or love than my husband, I never realized I could love one man so much and for 30 years too! He has been there through thick and thin and the valleys and the mountain tops. He has been an excellent husband and father to our six children, and a great provider. Through it all, he has remained my best best friend. The last thing I ever wanted to do was 'rock his world'!So the tears started and I asked him if he would be willing to pray about adopting. He looked down at his plate of food, probably losing his appetite, and said, "Yes, I am willing to pray." I loved him more at that moment than ever, because he is a man of his word, I knew he would pray.There is more to come, this is lengthy, but I don't want you, the reader, to miss any of the details. Our God is intricately involved in our lives.
Baby Steps in the Journey
June 15, 2009
This journey I have been on has taken many twists and turns along the way. It has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, and recently it has smoothed out for the time being. It seemed like now that I was pretty sure the Lord was speaking about China, I had more questions than I had answers.Jerry and I did not discuss for many weeks, what the Lord was opening up to me. We really did make it a matter of prayer. There were many times I was overwhelmed with this vision bursting in my heart. It was at this time I called a very dear friend, Kathy, to share with her what was going on. I believe it was early April of 2008, I decided I needed to talk to someone. I had been talking to the Lord for almost six months now, and was beginning to get confirmation and an assurance in my heart that pointed towards China.Kathy is a very devoted follower of Jesus Christ, and has been a trusted friend for many years. She has been a confidante, and although we live many miles and states apart we are still very connected. So, I picked up the phone and gave her a call, and began to share the journey and the process I was going through. I shared with her about the possibility of adopting, and she was very excited and supportive to say the least.Kathy and her husband, Jim, have three grown children, and seven years ago they adopted a beautiful little girl from China. Talitha is an extraordinary young lady, and a joy to their family. I knew Kathy would understand what I was going through and I wanted to hear the story of Talitha's adoption. I was very blessed to listen, and she gave me much needed counsel and advice int the area of prayer. I remember her distinctly telling me to leave my husband alone, that if, this was God, God would deal with him. I had decided to do that, but it was very good to hear it again!She sent me two books, "The Lost Daughters of China", and "Saving Levi", both remarkable books. She also advised me to send away to an agency for an adoption application. I began to search the internet for different agencies to see what they were all about. I decided to contact Holt International. They are in Portland, Or. and are pioneers in international adoption.All the while this was going on I kept asking the Lord to clarify what He was showing me. I needed confirmation if it was adoption, because this was a HUGE step. There was our age to consider, our stage in life, the cost of adopting and of raising another child. So in my weakness, I asked for confirmation again and again and again. Well, the Lord is so faithful because He gave it to me again and again and again!I will share one of the remarkable confirmations I received. Jerry and I own a week in Florida at a timeshare. Our week is in April, usually towards the end. We flew from Portland, Or. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. We reallly enjoy this time away together. I brought the two books with me to read.While we were in our seats, on the plane, belted in, I sat watching the other passengers load. I have to admit one of my favorite pastimes is people watching, so it was interesting watching everyone get acclimated to their seats. I noticed this middle aged couple getting on and moving towards the back of the plane. They were a sharp looking professional couple. They were toting some precious cargo, a little girl, around 4 from China. This could be coincidental, I thought to myself, but I was enthralled to say the least.We had a bit of a layover in Denver, so as we were sitting waiting to board again, I noticed this couple were waitng near us too. I watched them out of the corner of my eye, still thinking this is quite a coincidence! We got on the plane to fly the rest of the way to Florida, it is a rather long flight so I started to read, "The Lost Daughters of China", and got lost in it. About an hour before we landed, I could overhear the man behind me talking to the two people sitting next to him. I could not see them, but I could hear them. After small talk, he asked them why they were flying into Ft. Lauderdale. They responded that they were doctors, going there for a medical convention. I heard accents, and I wondered where they were from. He asked them," Where are you from?" They responded, "Bejing, China!"My ears were hot, I though ok, so I asked for confirmation Lord and first of all, there is a couple from Portland on our flight who have a daughter from China. Still could be coincidental, but this?!! Right behind me a young couple, doctors from Bejing?! I listened to them talk to each other in Mandarin, and something, more like Someone was resonating in my heart, "China, China, China!"That week was wonderful, filled with sunshine and beach and ocean! And I read both books, so the door of my heart was opening even wider to China.We boarded our flight ot go home the following week, and guess who sat almost directly across from us? The couple with little the girl!! Her name was Ivy. And I began to strike up a conversation, this wife was there to attend a medical convention, she was a pediatrician, and her husband and little girl were going to get some pool time! No more a coincidence! But I believe a confiramtion, there were many more to come.I am humbled and blessed that God is using this to encourage and enlighten. My desire is that it will bring glory to the Lord. Keep reading, there is more to come!
This journey I have been on has taken many twists and turns along the way. It has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, and recently it has smoothed out for the time being. It seemed like now that I was pretty sure the Lord was speaking about China, I had more questions than I had answers.Jerry and I did not discuss for many weeks, what the Lord was opening up to me. We really did make it a matter of prayer. There were many times I was overwhelmed with this vision bursting in my heart. It was at this time I called a very dear friend, Kathy, to share with her what was going on. I believe it was early April of 2008, I decided I needed to talk to someone. I had been talking to the Lord for almost six months now, and was beginning to get confirmation and an assurance in my heart that pointed towards China.Kathy is a very devoted follower of Jesus Christ, and has been a trusted friend for many years. She has been a confidante, and although we live many miles and states apart we are still very connected. So, I picked up the phone and gave her a call, and began to share the journey and the process I was going through. I shared with her about the possibility of adopting, and she was very excited and supportive to say the least.Kathy and her husband, Jim, have three grown children, and seven years ago they adopted a beautiful little girl from China. Talitha is an extraordinary young lady, and a joy to their family. I knew Kathy would understand what I was going through and I wanted to hear the story of Talitha's adoption. I was very blessed to listen, and she gave me much needed counsel and advice int the area of prayer. I remember her distinctly telling me to leave my husband alone, that if, this was God, God would deal with him. I had decided to do that, but it was very good to hear it again!She sent me two books, "The Lost Daughters of China", and "Saving Levi", both remarkable books. She also advised me to send away to an agency for an adoption application. I began to search the internet for different agencies to see what they were all about. I decided to contact Holt International. They are in Portland, Or. and are pioneers in international adoption.All the while this was going on I kept asking the Lord to clarify what He was showing me. I needed confirmation if it was adoption, because this was a HUGE step. There was our age to consider, our stage in life, the cost of adopting and of raising another child. So in my weakness, I asked for confirmation again and again and again. Well, the Lord is so faithful because He gave it to me again and again and again!I will share one of the remarkable confirmations I received. Jerry and I own a week in Florida at a timeshare. Our week is in April, usually towards the end. We flew from Portland, Or. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. We reallly enjoy this time away together. I brought the two books with me to read.While we were in our seats, on the plane, belted in, I sat watching the other passengers load. I have to admit one of my favorite pastimes is people watching, so it was interesting watching everyone get acclimated to their seats. I noticed this middle aged couple getting on and moving towards the back of the plane. They were a sharp looking professional couple. They were toting some precious cargo, a little girl, around 4 from China. This could be coincidental, I thought to myself, but I was enthralled to say the least.We had a bit of a layover in Denver, so as we were sitting waiting to board again, I noticed this couple were waitng near us too. I watched them out of the corner of my eye, still thinking this is quite a coincidence! We got on the plane to fly the rest of the way to Florida, it is a rather long flight so I started to read, "The Lost Daughters of China", and got lost in it. About an hour before we landed, I could overhear the man behind me talking to the two people sitting next to him. I could not see them, but I could hear them. After small talk, he asked them why they were flying into Ft. Lauderdale. They responded that they were doctors, going there for a medical convention. I heard accents, and I wondered where they were from. He asked them," Where are you from?" They responded, "Bejing, China!"My ears were hot, I though ok, so I asked for confirmation Lord and first of all, there is a couple from Portland on our flight who have a daughter from China. Still could be coincidental, but this?!! Right behind me a young couple, doctors from Bejing?! I listened to them talk to each other in Mandarin, and something, more like Someone was resonating in my heart, "China, China, China!"That week was wonderful, filled with sunshine and beach and ocean! And I read both books, so the door of my heart was opening even wider to China.We boarded our flight ot go home the following week, and guess who sat almost directly across from us? The couple with little the girl!! Her name was Ivy. And I began to strike up a conversation, this wife was there to attend a medical convention, she was a pediatrician, and her husband and little girl were going to get some pool time! No more a coincidence! But I believe a confiramtion, there were many more to come.I am humbled and blessed that God is using this to encourage and enlighten. My desire is that it will bring glory to the Lord. Keep reading, there is more to come!
Friends on the Journey
June 18, 2009
It's been a few days, kids, college kids, have been finishing up their school year and writing papers. So this laptop has been very occupied. It has actually been good, because it's given me time to pray and think about what to write next. I took time to look at old journals from 2008 and get more details and facts of everything God was doing. I am so amazed by Him and how personal He is. He truly is my Father, My Dad and has walked me throught this process, so patiently and lovingly. I read "Lost Daughters of China", in April of 2008, and it was very educational and informative. And actually quite shocking! I would like to share a few of the quotes from the book, with you, so you can understand, not only what was going on in my heart, but what has gone on in China for decades. This book was written by a lady along with her husband who adopted a precious baby girl from China. "Each daughter adopted from China is a gift beyond measure, and each comes with her own little mystery." "Each document and all the papers that come with each daughter are covered with elegant Chinese writing in rich dark ink. Translated, the document says simply, 'Found Forsaken'. Each daughter from China comes away with these two words, summing up their short lives. "An American couple did see a man carry an infant into a park and set her down while a weeping woman followed, but most parents go unseen, leaving no traces at all." There is a one-child policy in China and because baby boys are more desirable, the girls get abandoned, aborted or worse. Infanticide is an all too common event. Desperation make people do the worst of things, so here I am reading this book and my heart is doing flip flops inside my chest. Rarely did I come away reading this with a dry eye. It messed me with me to say the least! I came home from my vacation with a heart filled with emotions and lots of questions. What could I, one person do? It seems so overwhelming to me! I have a very close friend here in Washington, and her and her husband have become my heroes. They are everyday heroes who have chosen to make a huge difference in the lives of three children. Amy and Paul have adopted 3 drug affected kids and are raising them with love and patience and stability. I know this hasn't been an easy road for them but they are having a huge impact in the lives of these three wonderful children. They are so full of love, that I see God at work. They don't know this, but they have been an excellent example to me to see how you can make all the difference in the life of a child. They have helped me answer the question, "What could I do" ?I am proud to call them friends, and actually they have become like family to my family. Two of their children will be in my son Daniel's wedding in August. Amy and I went for a long walk one day last spring, just sharing our hearts with each other. She told me of her plans to go back to school to be a teacher, and I was very excited for her, because she has such a heart ot help kids, and I knew she would do well. As we were walking I shared what I was going through and she was so wonderfully supportive. As we were talking, a 40ish mom walked by, with a little girl from, you guessed it China! We smiled and looked at each other, I shared that I still didn't know where my husband was at because we hadn't talked about it. She agreed to pray for us, and I don't know if she'll ever know how much that meant to me. Tomorrow I will write about another friend on the journey, who my daughter will be named after. Thank you everyone for all your support. I pray this story touches your heart.
It's been a few days, kids, college kids, have been finishing up their school year and writing papers. So this laptop has been very occupied. It has actually been good, because it's given me time to pray and think about what to write next. I took time to look at old journals from 2008 and get more details and facts of everything God was doing. I am so amazed by Him and how personal He is. He truly is my Father, My Dad and has walked me throught this process, so patiently and lovingly. I read "Lost Daughters of China", in April of 2008, and it was very educational and informative. And actually quite shocking! I would like to share a few of the quotes from the book, with you, so you can understand, not only what was going on in my heart, but what has gone on in China for decades. This book was written by a lady along with her husband who adopted a precious baby girl from China. "Each daughter adopted from China is a gift beyond measure, and each comes with her own little mystery." "Each document and all the papers that come with each daughter are covered with elegant Chinese writing in rich dark ink. Translated, the document says simply, 'Found Forsaken'. Each daughter from China comes away with these two words, summing up their short lives. "An American couple did see a man carry an infant into a park and set her down while a weeping woman followed, but most parents go unseen, leaving no traces at all." There is a one-child policy in China and because baby boys are more desirable, the girls get abandoned, aborted or worse. Infanticide is an all too common event. Desperation make people do the worst of things, so here I am reading this book and my heart is doing flip flops inside my chest. Rarely did I come away reading this with a dry eye. It messed me with me to say the least! I came home from my vacation with a heart filled with emotions and lots of questions. What could I, one person do? It seems so overwhelming to me! I have a very close friend here in Washington, and her and her husband have become my heroes. They are everyday heroes who have chosen to make a huge difference in the lives of three children. Amy and Paul have adopted 3 drug affected kids and are raising them with love and patience and stability. I know this hasn't been an easy road for them but they are having a huge impact in the lives of these three wonderful children. They are so full of love, that I see God at work. They don't know this, but they have been an excellent example to me to see how you can make all the difference in the life of a child. They have helped me answer the question, "What could I do" ?I am proud to call them friends, and actually they have become like family to my family. Two of their children will be in my son Daniel's wedding in August. Amy and I went for a long walk one day last spring, just sharing our hearts with each other. She told me of her plans to go back to school to be a teacher, and I was very excited for her, because she has such a heart ot help kids, and I knew she would do well. As we were walking I shared what I was going through and she was so wonderfully supportive. As we were talking, a 40ish mom walked by, with a little girl from, you guessed it China! We smiled and looked at each other, I shared that I still didn't know where my husband was at because we hadn't talked about it. She agreed to pray for us, and I don't know if she'll ever know how much that meant to me. Tomorrow I will write about another friend on the journey, who my daughter will be named after. Thank you everyone for all your support. I pray this story touches your heart.
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