How do you spell stressed?

Wow! Getting ready to leave has been crazy. We have so much to take! We ar so nervous and excited all at once. The new blog is up and running, so I will post most adoption information on that blog. But keep checking, I will put some adoption stuff on here too!

Brent may use this for a devotional blog while we are gone.
If you want to join him in this devotional, pick up A Call to Die by David Nasser. I think you can get it anywhere.
It's a great challenge to go deeper with God. Hope you choose to do the study.

Pray for us.

The Folded Napkin

Brent told me something that he learned this week that neither of us knew.
We knew that when Jesus left the tomb, he left the linen cloths there. Now this is the meaning what we did not know and where it gets really interesting. John 20 records that the cloth that covered Jesus' face was folded and laying separate from the other clothes.
In Hebrew society, during meal time if a man got up from the table and threw his napkin down, it meant he was finished with the meal. BUT if he got up and folded the napkin and laid it down, that was the signal that he was coming back and not to remove his plate.
I LOVE IT! Jesus wasn't even out of the tomb before He was leaving a promise of His second coming! He's coming back!
I don't know about you, but I think that is awesome.

Happy Easter!

Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

As you know I was reading the book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala. I finished it a week or so ago. Brent has it now.
We have also enjoyed reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Radical by David Platt. Both of these books have the same message. But what I noticed about Jim Cymbala and his wife is that they have been living out what Francis Chan and David Platt talk about in their books for years and years! They have a firey love for Christ and follows Jesus' teachings in the Bible, not a five step program. They also has a sincere love for people to be changed by Jesus. Jim Cymbala is a humble man. This shows even through his writing. He is a man of prayer. When he prays, he obeys. He doesn't come up with 1000 excuses not to do what God asked of him, he just does it and trusts God through it all.

I also love that in this book he talks about the struggles and doubts along the way that he and his wife have faced. They are not super Christians, they have fears and sins like the rest of us, but they pray and obey and let God use their weaknesses and their love to display His glory.

We had a women's conference the church this weekend. Our speaker gave a definition of the word glory. She said glory means the exact or correct estimation of who God is. How am I showing God's glory each day in my life? How are you?

I encourage you to read the books above. But mostly model your life after Jesus. He is who the world needs anyway, not another program.

A story while you wait part 2

So we drove home December 15 feeling pretty low. What happened? Did we hear wrong? What was going on? There was not a booming voice from heaven with an explaination. So we just waited. We didn't really do anything with the adoption for the next few weeks. Christmas and New Years kept us busy!

Then one day, we got an email from our agency. It contained a list of children waiting for a home. There was very little information. Just names, ages, and a sentence or two about the child/group. One group of 3 caught our eye. Honestly, it was because of their ages. So we decided to inquire about them. About a week later, we got a bit more information. A reference card if you will. Containing basic, non-detailed information about each child.....and a picture. Whoa. Cuteness was everywhere! We thought for a while and decided to tell our parents that we were considering these kids. By now it was the middle of January. The snow came and went and Brent's hand had been bothering him greatly for a few weeks.

We decided to send a letter of intent. Our updated dossier was translated and re-submitted. This took about a week. The consejo for January was the last weekend. We were told that our dossier was held up and did not make it to that consejo. We were pretty thankful for that. The doctor scheduled Brent's surgery for the middle of February and recovery was either going to take 1 month or 3 months depending on what he found during the surgery. According to the MRI and the doctor, Brent had DESTROYED all the cartilige in his wrist. He could not even pick up a bottle of water and was in EXTREME pain and had not slept through the night since before Christmas. He usually only got about 2 hours of sleep a night. We were both having a very hard time spiritually and emotionally, Brent physically, we were struggling really bad. In fact, moving to Antartica was very appealing! So if we had been assigned the kids in January, there may not have been enough time for Brent's recovery nor our spiritual/emotional recovery.

So we were ready set for the February consejo. :) We decided not to mention to anyone except our immediate family that we inquired about the 3 siblings. Just wanted to keep it on the down low since the last time it didn't go so well. It was hard when everyone would say, "well how are things going with the adoption?" My usual response was that we were just waiting. Which was true, we just didn't specify that we were waiting on a certain 3 kids.

My birthday came - I am now 30! Wierd! Brent's surgery was the next day after my birthday. That was the best day. Ever. He was instantly out of pain (except for normal surgery soreness) and he has slept through the night since the 2nd night! PRAISE THE LORD!! Also the Sunday before our pastor preached on Psalm 55. It was great. In the Psalm, David says he wants to have wings like a dove so he can fly away. Funny - so did we! Then at the end David still places his trust in the Lord, even though his own son is trying to kill him. God used that in our lives. Hope was reborn!

This brings us to present day! Sunday came and we told our Sunday school class - hey we might get kids Wednesday. So we had a few more prayer warriors with us. Then Wednesday came, the day of the consejo. I was off from work and headed to the doctor. Wow. I didn't even know what to pray. The only thing that kept coming to mind was "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." There were 2 other families in our agency who had requested children and Peru does not like to show favortism by giving children to more than one family in the same agency. So we knew there was a possibilty that we would not get placed with the children this time around. Then Brent got an email around noon saying it was very possible that we were getting them. Then at 4:55, I got a phone call. It was not my area code, so I debated on whether or not to answer it - could have been a wrong number and I have our agencies in my phone and their name was not popping up - but I answered. It was P from our agency! What?! She had just gotten a call from her daughter! Peru had just posted everything on the site! It was offical! We had the 3 kids. They never post anything early - it's usually the next day. P said she and her daughter usually have a race to see who can check the site first the day after the consejo. Wow! Amazing! I called Brent.

We had to print off our acceptance letter. So we also printed the picture we had a few times and after church headed off to our parents to show them the picture of their new grandchildren!

I emailed P today, just to make sure it was till official and that they had not changed their minds. It's official! We got the docutments today.

We are so excited. We don't have a clue what to do next. The next few months are going to be a whirlwind I think. Thank You Lord!

"Tonight’s the night......Two worlds collide in a beautiful display
It’s all up tonight
When we step across the line.......We can sail across the sea"

New Read

I am currently reading "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala. I need this in my life.

Adoption and the Bible

"In the process of adoption, an individual assumes parental responsibility for the child of another, as Mordecai adopted his young relative Esther after the death of her parents.

Joseph adoped Jesus to be recognized as his own sone in the eyes of God and man. This gave all legal inheritance rights traceable through Joseph to Jesus - see Matthew 1:1-25 - assigning Him to legal claim to the Davidic throne. Spiritually, we are the children of God by adoption just as Jesus was the child of Joseph by adoption. This process of adoption give to the one adopted full family standing and rights - Romans 8:15-17. This transacation is a divinely authorized, God-blessed, and legally binding means for adding to the family unit and passing on the family inheritance - Galatians 4:5 and Ephesians 1:5.

Though the Bible does not present explicit legal process or rights and responsibilities demanded for adoption, Old Testament examples are found in Esther's adoption by Mordecai - Esther 2:15. Also from Moses' adoption by Pharaoh's daughter - Exodus 2:10 and in addition to the use of the adoption motif in explaining God's relationship to His people Israel - Deuteronomy 14:2. In the New Testament, adoption describes the believer's relationship with the Lord - Galations 4:3-7 and Ephesians 1:1-6.

When an individual accepts Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit completes a transaction of adoption of their behalf. The individual becomes God's child and He becomes his/her Abba. As God's adopted child, we will inherit a perfect home with Him and in the meantime we have immediate access to Him for comfort, direction, provision, etc. He adopted us with pleasure and will never revoke our adoption."

(Taken from an excerpt from the Women's Study Bible)

Revolve Tour

This past weekend Julie, Michelle, and myself took 12 girls to the Revolve Tour. We had a great time. The Revolve team is very good. Britt Nicole, Hawk Nelson, Group 1 Crew performed concerts - they all put on fantastic shows. Jamie Grace and Kathyrn M (from So You Think You Can Dance) were also on the team and performed well.
The theme was Dream On. Going for the dreams you have in your life, yet realzing that maybe God has different dreams for you or wants to use your dream in a different direction than you originally intended.
Jenna and Chad were the main speakers. They do a great job at getting to the heart of the matter and saying things just right! Topics included (but were not limited to): boys and relationships, friendship, drama, teen suicide, trusting God, heaven, focus, telling the truth, and being yourself. We hope to go again next year....with even more girls! :)

Well I've been reading David Platt's new book, Radical.
You have got to read. He reminds me of Francis Chan and his book Crazy Love.

Did you know there are at least 4.5 billion people on the planet who do not know Jesus? Again that is 4.5 BILLION. We've got to work harder, Christians! Seriously is our pettiness really worth someone's eternity? There was music minister in the church I grew up in who used to say "it's all gonna burn." I love that quote and use it from time to time. Nothing will last, except a person's soul. Forever. Heaven or Hell.

The chapter in which I am currently reading deals with those who have never heard the name of Jesus and whether or not they will go heaven. Platt has great thoughts on this question.

He also talks about materialism and how we have Americanized Christianity. We sit in plush and polished, church buildings that cost millions of dollars and yet give only $5000 to a mission in Africa for clean water (which by the way is an illustration he uses - so I didn't just make that up).

God has blessed us so that we can use His blessings to bless others and for His glory.

He talks about the adoptions of his sons.

This is a summer must read. Enjoy!

www.radicalthebook.com

A FEW WEBSITES FOR YOU

HERE ARE SOME WEBSITES YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT:



VIEW THIS WEBSITE FOR DEVEOTIONS FROM GENESIS: www.nicolelhvaughn.tatepublishing.net









VIEW THIS WEBSITE FOR HIS VOICE GLOBAL: www.hisvoiceforsudan.com

SUMMER CAMP

Summer camp was this past week. What a great time. We really have some great kids. I have been reading this book on gratitude by Nancy Lee DeMoss. So I thought I would make of list of things I was thankful for at camp this week. So in no particular order here we go:

1. Air conditioner and big fans
2. Shower shoes
3. Sunny days
4. Messy games
5. My backpack
6. 2 salvations
7. Several other life decisions
8. Bug spray
9. Reliant K and extremely loud teenagers to keep me awake while driving home!!!
10.Zyrtec and Benedryl!
11.Fun camp staffers who interact with the kids
12.Batteries
11.A Breeze
13.Tennis shoes
14.Bottled water and gaterade
15.Not having to cook any meals

So that's the list so far. I'm sure I left off a few things. Brent, Bubba, and Melissa did a great job. The camp had all kinds of things to experience. Climbing wall, high ropes course, canoeing, dock jumping, pool, paintball, and tubing. The staffers were great. They taught the kids fun camp songs before each meal and even did entertainment during the meal. They were good at helping the kids with activities.

I realized again what a great leader Brent is. I can see God growing him. Bubba is a great planner and speaker as well. Melissa is too! She is so much fun!

Maybe we will go to this camp again next year. Enjoy these few pictures.

P.S.

Oh, I forgot to mention. We thought that the lady who conducted our psychological evaluation may have been Buddist. We cannot be for sure. Maybe she just collected little Budda statues and put them in her office. But it was really interesting to watch her as we shared stories about what our God had done and is doing. We even got to share with her a little bit about God sending Christ to come adopt us by His death on the cross. Had she been a Christian, we think that her responses to some answers we gave would have been different, even if she did need to word our respondes in a certain way for the auhorties in Peru. The only way to explain our whole adoption experience is God.

Today in Sunday School our teacher asked if God ever asked us to do something "big" for Him. Big is relative term depending on you. It could be cooking supper every night for you family, resigning your church and not know where God is taking you such as Francis Chan and his family did, to anything in between.

Sometimes I think I know what type of life God might have for me and Brent. It comes in fleeting thoughts. I'm pretty sure I would like it. I know I am not ready for it.
Maybe this is preparation stage. I don't know if I am preparing well.

Okay, church is out....going to lunch.

Check List

Home study arrived at USCIS? CHECK!
*Hooray! We are awaiting instructions for our biometrics.

Psych tests set for June 23? CHECK!
*Who is the crazy one? That is the question!

Paper work being gathered? CHECK!
*again!

Receive first "big" bill from agency? CHECK!

All funds in place to pay bill? CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!

Praising the Lord? DOUBLE CHECK! DOUBLE CHECK! TRIPLE CHECK!


I love that we are adopting from Peru. It's just right!
God has really just made all of this happen.

I don't really know where to begin. It's been a really thoughtful week. It all started last Sunday when we took personality tests in our class....and I failed. Did you even know you can fail a personality test? Well you can. According to the test we took, the 2 personalities that were highest for me are unnatural, meaning that I have a mask. So apparently I cannot tell the difference between who I really am and who I have learned to be. Brent took it for me and so I kinda know who I am now.

We did however send our home study to USCIS!! Now we wait for 2 weeks or 60 days (90 at the most - our friends waited 4 months!) for our approval. We are praying for a fast review and approval. We do have a Father who parted the Red Sea and can bring the dead to life, so controlling the government is not a big deal. But if we wait 90 days then God is in control of this adoption and there is a reason. But I know that this timing is right. I just know it. We feel as if we have been on the road since 2008, but technically we decided on Peru in October of 2009.

I have been reading "Adopted for Life" by Russell Moore. This book is amazing. I told Brent the first 2 chapters are completely about Christ and our spiritual adoption! I wanted to put a few quotes in here for you to get a taste, but then I realized I would have to re-type the entire book on here and I figured you would rather read it for yourself - whether you are adopting or not!

We always knew adoption is the gospel. However I did not know it so throughly until I read this book.

Russell and his wife adopted 2 boys from Russia and along the chapters he shares
different experiences about their adoption. It's so nice for him to write about the things that we have felt and spoken about and have had people say to us! Just the other day a lady told me that most people who adopt cannot have kids. I almost laughed in her face. I know it would have been rude, so I controlled my tongue and did not laugh nor did I respond to her.
We have also been asked "are you going to have your own children?" and "most people get pregnant after they adopt". All of these are spoken in kind sincerity. I know it. It doesn't even bother me. Why? Because this child or the children that we are adopting are our children. It's okay if other people do not understand this, maybe one day they will and maybe we will be apart of that process. Adoption is also not a manipulation towards God to get Him to give a pregnancy. The adopted child is not second best or an after thought any more than a birth child is.
Russell once asked a couple who was infertile if they wanted to parent a child or just carry on their genetic line? Then his wife scolded him for being so harsh. He realized that it did sound harsh and apoligized, but also knew it was true - he had just come to terms with parenting and raising children to love and serve the Lord is the goal....not just carrying on your genetics.

Okay, enought of that.....just go read the book. :)

We cannot wait for the day when we land in the US with our child/children! Brent will be getting to visit Peru in a few months with a mission trip. And God just keeps providing financially (we have $15,000 more to raise), emotionally, and spiritually! We believe this is the journey God has called us to, we know He is faithful to finish what He started.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." Heb. 11:1

What if Starbucks marketed like a church?

I just saw this video. It's hilarious! It's called what if Starbucks marketed like a church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I

My new favorite song.....

We will sing, sing, sing
And make music with the heavens
We will sing, sing, sing Grateful that You hear us When we shout your praise
Lift high the name of Jesus

What's not to love about You?
Heaven and earth adore You
Kings and kingdoms bow down Son of God, You are the One You are the One
we're living for

You are the love that frees us
You are the light that leads us
Like a fire burning Son of God,
You are the one You are the one we're living for

We will sing, sing, sing
And make music with the heavens
We will sing, sing, sing
Grateful that You hear us When we shout your praise
Lift high the name of Jesus

By Chris Tomlin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzRNkPXH5V8


Also, today is one year and one day exactly that we have been back.

Kenyan Stories

This is my sister-in-law, April. I love her.

She just returned from Kenya.

She went with the organization: 410bridge

She LOVED it!

Here are few things she had to say about it (for a full note you may visit her on facebook):

It is only day 2 of being in Kenya and day 4 of the trip and so far I have already:

-experienced the joy of travelling for 40 hours

-seen a fight in an african airport (SCARY)

-seen Air Force One land in Ghana

-run over a thief in the streets of Nairobi

-met children that have more joy and love than I have ever experienced

-gotten real hugs and tangibly felt love through the hand hold of an orphan name Unice

-experienced Heaven in an unlikely place

-eaten a rib from an unknown animal

-seen God praised in a new way

-had my hair braided by Kenyan children - twice

-seen a chicken offering auctioned off in a church

-walked the 3 km journey to a 100 foot rock ravine where they sent their children to get water

-prayed with a family who just lost their son, which turned into a huge celebration

-seen giraffes on the side of the road......and it's only day two.

This place has captured my heart.

Day 3:

-danced into the community by a group of Kenyan women,

-helped dig a base for the water project
-got my arms and face painted at the worksite

-stood in the rain and prayed

-drank coffee in the home of one of the community members and learned about Kenyan "relationships"

-had a very extensive conversation about my accent

Things just keep getting better.

Day 4:
-taught children the story of Noah's ark and did a craft

-worked in the project for awhile, then sat with the women

-played banya with the women and jumped rope with them

-bought a machette

-had a Kenyan tell us one of our men was strong like chuck norris

How can this get any better?

During the last few days:

-went to a Kenyan funeral

-went a real safari - twice

-got kissed by a grosssss giraffe!

-had my first market experience and almost had a nervous break down if it weren't for the help of james

-experienced the terror of Nairobi after dark

-ate 5 pieces of the best pizza i've ever had....in a kenyan gas station?

Headed home, sad sad day.

The children climbed up and down this

with 7 gallon jugs of water on their backs,

4 times a day......barefoot.

This means "small and beautiful".

It could be important later. :)

Pagan Christianity

Well I am on the 3rd chapter of this book. It's about the sermon, formation of it, and a few great orators. I've been reading this book for about a month now and it has been a very slow read.

I do not have the book in front of me right now, so I will not be able to put a few quotes that I thought were good. There are really interesting history bites in this book, such as pews. When they were first invented they were sold to families. Each family would sit and decorate their bench. No one else was allowed to sit there. It became almost a competition to see who could decorate their bench as the best with pillows, curtains, and such. It became a source that caused fighting between the church members. So finally they quite selling the pews and decorating and just had benches. I think that it is pretty funny that still today people have "their" pew or section, or side of the church that they always sit on and you better not sit in "their" seat. I guess that traditon has not completely died out.

Also Sunday night church. I have been in churches that have Sunday night church, churches that do not have it, or churches that just meet once a month on Sunday nights. I must tell you am a fan of either not having it at all or just meeting once a month. Viola and Barna point out that Sunday night meetings were first started by John Wesley, who lived in the 1800s, I think. When I read this I laughed and said "so it's your fault, thanks, John". Haha! (i don't mean any disrepect to Mr. Wesley.)

There are more history bites like these, such as how the steeple was invented, why churches have graveyards - this is really interesting, the architecture of the building, and even the definition of the word "church".

So far what I have gathered from the book so far is that our church is so completely rooted in tradition that sometimes we cannot tell the difference between following Christ and his commands or following tradition that someone began or took from someone else practices.

I hope to finish the book by March - so I have a lot of reading to do. Let me know if you have thoughts.

Pagan Christianity

Frank Viola and George Barna published a book called Pagan Christianity in 2007. This book does what it says on the cover - expores the roots of our church practices. Brent and I heard about this book from a friend. After hearing what David (who is in full-time ministry) had to say about the book, both Brent and I really wanted to read it. Brent has already read it and really enjoyed it. So now I get to read it. I'm really excited about it. Some of you know that around the same time we moved to Texas, I became really sick of "church". A few things happened in the church that Brent and I had just resigned from and in my home church. It was pretty - well, to put it nicely - I didn't care to have anything to do with church or the some of the people who call themselves Christians.

I know that you are probably thinking how terrible, how could she think that. But it was making me question some things like - why do we go to church 3 times a week - no where in the Bible does it say to meet Sunday morning, night or Wednesdays? Why do we sing 3 songs and sit down on the third? Or if you are considered a comtemporary church you might stand up the whole and time sing 4 or 5 songs, one will at least be what I have heard call a 7/11 song - meaning you sing the same 7 words over and over 11 times. And more questions about why do we do church like we do church. Besides the church is not a building, but people.

This really wound up to be a good thing for me for several reasons. For once I could honestly say that I understood why people who are not Christians do not want to have anything to do with Christianity. And why some Christians leave the church. Both will ask Why do Christians say they believe one way and act another? Why would you treat people this way? There is a bumper sticker that someone used in a lesson once, it says:

"I like your Christ,
I do not like your Christians,
They are not at all like your Christ."

Pretty good, huh?

Second, I came to realize that my questioning was more out of a wrong attitude/rebellion than it was earnestly wanting to know the answers to my questions. Basically a heart problem. It took me pretty much the whole first year and a half to work through my heart rebellion troubles. I know that for some seminary is a spiritual high, in my experience, my was not. Except for maybe the last semester I began changing.

These are a few reasons why I was excited when David told us about his book. I had finally gotten my heart straight, but I still wondered why do we do things the way we do them. This
book is more like a thesis, than a book. It all just history about where the church building comes from, why do most dress up to come to church, where pews and balconys came from, why there is a stage, what about choir robes and music ministers, tithing and minister salaries, etc., etc., etc. I love history (although I never would have admitted that in high school! haha!)

I have only read the 2 introductions written by the authors about why they wrote the book and the first chapter. I am about to being chapter 2 - it's about the church building. So I will let you know what I think. In the meantime you might check it out. All though beware- the book does come with a warning in the introduction.