THE PROBLEM:
WHY ITS IMPORTANT:
What GOD thinks about orphans:
God calls us to be instruments of justice for orphans...
Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor. (Zechariah 7:9b-10b)
God calls us to love and to care for orphans...
Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. (Deuteronomy 24:21)
God blesses those who are obedient to care for the needs of orphans...
When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 24:19)
For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow's heart sing for joy. (Job 29:11-13)
THE PLAN OF ACTION:
God has placed a piece of Uganda in my heart and I long for there with everything inside me, I don't just want to go, I HAVE to go or this aching in my heart will surely consume me!! The Lord has opened that door for me to travel to Uganda this fall (Sept 26th -October 5th 09)with an AMAZING organization that has a heart to reclaim hope for orphans... Carolines Promise (http://www.carolinespromise4u.org/index.htm) We will be ministering to the orphans and widows there through various resources (including food, children's activities, medical assistance etc)
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
*Prayers!!
Not only for me but for the many orphans and widows not just in Uganda but all over the world! God moves when His children PRAY!!
* Become a child sponsor, you can make a HUGE difference the life of a child by becoming a sponsor..visit these websites for more information
http://www.hopechest.org/
http://www.compassion.com/default.htm
* Partner with me financially as I take my step into the mission field of Uganda!!
Click the button below to donate towards my trip to Uganda!! Your donations are so greatly appreciated and May the Lord Bless you as you give!!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sweet Reunion...
I experienced the worst feeling in my life tonight as I frantically paced through the isles of Wal-Mart in search of my daughter Morgan, she had been just one aisle away and now she was nowhere to be found, I felt the anxiety coming over my body as every horrific senearo possible raced through my mind. I kept pleading oh God please don’t let this be happening, please bring her back to me! Through panic and tears I pleaded with someone to please help me find my little girl! I could hear Code Adam alarming over the intercom and realized this was really happening to me, it suddenly became personal, how many times do we hear that a child is missing and dismiss it because its not our child? I could feel my body becoming weak and things around me were getting blurry as my body was going into shock at the thought that my baby was gone. This just can’t be happening..Please God I pleaded again…And I heard the most precious words I could ever hear..We found her!! My heart leaped and when my eyes met hers I just ran..Ran as fast as I could to her..I have never been so excited and relieved to see my daughter than I was in that moment. The expression on her face was one of confusion..You see Morgan didn’t even realize she was lost. I had told her to get her brother a toy to ease his tantrums which was one aisle over in the baby dept..But in Morgan’s mind she thought I meant in the toy dept on the other side of the store!..So all along Morgan thought she was right where she was suppose to be, that was until an employee approached her and asked if she was lost..Morgan replied umm I don’t think so..After telling the lady what her name was, the lady oh yes her mother is looking for you!..Through this ordeal I could hear my Heavenly Father speaking to my heart. Through the frantic search for her I could hear God whispering this is how I feel..This is my heart to those that are mine, that are wandering and lost, the way you feel right is now is how I feel towards them. I search frantically for them, I leave everything to search for them to seek them out,and the horrible images that you seen, I see too..I see what they will endure if I can't bring them back to Me.... and when the moment comes that my eyes meet there’s, I run to them just as you ran to her. They are out there just as she was, not even realizing they are lost, thinking they are right where they are suppose to be..That is until someone approaches them and lets them know indeed their Daddy has been searching for them! And as followers of Jesus we are that someone..We need to take the time to ask the simple words..Are you lost? And then assure them that yes indeed your Daddy is looking for you and oh what a sweet and precious reunion it will be!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
HIS Church..
As Christians what do we normally do on Sundays? Most of us would answer we “go” to church right? And when we arrive we put our children in Sunday school and we listen to sermons that teach us what we should be doing as His children. Then most of us leave and say wow that was a good message and some of us may even think about it for awhile before the distraction of what’s for lunch enters our minds and we are back entertaining thoughts that center only around us. Is this what Jesus meant for His church? Does anyone else other than me think we are missing the point? Missing what Jesus meant when He called us to be His church? Did he mean for it to become a building where His children come and keep the pews warm? Where we listen to message after message and hear what Jesus is telling us to do but never actually going and doing what Jesus told us to do? Do we believe that church is a place you go? Or did Jesus mean for it to be who we are as His children? Aren’t we as followers of Jesus the church? Isn’t Jesus coming back for His bride? Those that have accepted Him into their heart and are saved. He doesn’t give us names of buildings he’s coming back for..No He says His church..His followers..
So what then does that mean for those of us that follow Him? We are following Jesus to become more like the image of Jesus to the world right? So then how do we do that? Do we just keep the church full of Pharisees and keep out the tax collectors? Read Matthew 25:31-46..In this Jesus is saying you want to find me and be my church then go serve and love the “tax collectors” if your wondering who exactly who would be the tax collectors of our day? They are the outcasts, the ones you wouldn’t dare think of letting in “your” church buildings...The strippers, homosexuals, drug addicts, homeless people, alcoholics, convicts and the list continues. What kind of “church would that be right, if we dared let a stripper dressed in her attire sit in one of our pews, that’s just not right!..Or is it? Isn’t that what Jesus commands us to do? Since when do we make the rules? Why do we think we can make a list of rules about who gets to come in our “buildings”? When Jesus said you are my church, isn’t our “bodies” the temple of the Holy Spirit which means the Holy Spirit lives in us not in a building..So for that stripper to see Jesus, folks she is going to have to see it in the church..And that means in US..And that means we are going to have to take it outside the comfort of our buildings and go find them..Jesus did..He met the woman at the well, He didn’t wait for her to come meet Him in a building somewhere..He went to her..He sought her out..
Did He snarl His nose up at how she was dressed or slam her for her reputation? Nope he simply asked her for a drink of water and then talked to her; he made conversation with her..He met her right where she was. He went straight for her heart and it change her life..So then as followers of Jesus..His church..Aren’t we commanded to do the same? Instead of sitting in our nice comfortable churches..Hearing sermon after sermon, attending bible study after bible study...When will it finally hit you that Jesus said GO be the church? That those that Jesus commands us to reach are out there on the outside waiting and not seated in your pews because we as the church have made them believe they aren’t worthy to come inside? How many more bible studies do you need before you realize that Jesus is saying pick up your cross and FOLLOW me. Follow Him into the streets where strippers are, follow Him into the woods where homeless people sleep, follow Him into the prisons where convicts wait, follow Him into a orphanage where orphans cry, follow Him into foreign countries to preach His gospel, follow Him wherever He leads because that is BEING His church.
Will it get uncomfortable, you better believe it..But when did this become about our comfort? When did following Jesus become about us? Its not about us folks, it’s about God, everything we do with our lives should be to glorify Him and Him alone. Does that mean I am saying you should stop going to church building, No..But I am saying that I think we need to take a long hard look at what exactly that means and ask God to reveal to us if we are simply wasting our lives by only “going” to church and never actually “being” the church. We need to realize that as a follower of Jesus, we are indeed His church and that means we should be carrying that always to a lost and dying world, that it means not just getting up on a Sunday morning to rush to church and on the way you pass by a homeless person on the side of the road and yet you failed to stop because you were in a hurry to “get” to church instead of actually “being” the church ..And in doing so you missed the one you were in such a hurry to learn about, love, serve, and see……….JESUS
So what then does that mean for those of us that follow Him? We are following Jesus to become more like the image of Jesus to the world right? So then how do we do that? Do we just keep the church full of Pharisees and keep out the tax collectors? Read Matthew 25:31-46..In this Jesus is saying you want to find me and be my church then go serve and love the “tax collectors” if your wondering who exactly who would be the tax collectors of our day? They are the outcasts, the ones you wouldn’t dare think of letting in “your” church buildings...The strippers, homosexuals, drug addicts, homeless people, alcoholics, convicts and the list continues. What kind of “church would that be right, if we dared let a stripper dressed in her attire sit in one of our pews, that’s just not right!..Or is it? Isn’t that what Jesus commands us to do? Since when do we make the rules? Why do we think we can make a list of rules about who gets to come in our “buildings”? When Jesus said you are my church, isn’t our “bodies” the temple of the Holy Spirit which means the Holy Spirit lives in us not in a building..So for that stripper to see Jesus, folks she is going to have to see it in the church..And that means in US..And that means we are going to have to take it outside the comfort of our buildings and go find them..Jesus did..He met the woman at the well, He didn’t wait for her to come meet Him in a building somewhere..He went to her..He sought her out..
Did He snarl His nose up at how she was dressed or slam her for her reputation? Nope he simply asked her for a drink of water and then talked to her; he made conversation with her..He met her right where she was. He went straight for her heart and it change her life..So then as followers of Jesus..His church..Aren’t we commanded to do the same? Instead of sitting in our nice comfortable churches..Hearing sermon after sermon, attending bible study after bible study...When will it finally hit you that Jesus said GO be the church? That those that Jesus commands us to reach are out there on the outside waiting and not seated in your pews because we as the church have made them believe they aren’t worthy to come inside? How many more bible studies do you need before you realize that Jesus is saying pick up your cross and FOLLOW me. Follow Him into the streets where strippers are, follow Him into the woods where homeless people sleep, follow Him into the prisons where convicts wait, follow Him into a orphanage where orphans cry, follow Him into foreign countries to preach His gospel, follow Him wherever He leads because that is BEING His church.
Will it get uncomfortable, you better believe it..But when did this become about our comfort? When did following Jesus become about us? Its not about us folks, it’s about God, everything we do with our lives should be to glorify Him and Him alone. Does that mean I am saying you should stop going to church building, No..But I am saying that I think we need to take a long hard look at what exactly that means and ask God to reveal to us if we are simply wasting our lives by only “going” to church and never actually “being” the church. We need to realize that as a follower of Jesus, we are indeed His church and that means we should be carrying that always to a lost and dying world, that it means not just getting up on a Sunday morning to rush to church and on the way you pass by a homeless person on the side of the road and yet you failed to stop because you were in a hurry to “get” to church instead of actually “being” the church ..And in doing so you missed the one you were in such a hurry to learn about, love, serve, and see……….JESUS
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Is it Worth It??............
Is the question I heard on the other end of the receiver as I was telling my mom about my mission trip to Uganda in September. It burned through my heart like fire..How could she ask me that? Does she not understand why I am going? Has she not seen what goes on there? It saddens my soul to know that so many go on about there daily lives unaffected by a hurting world around us and I too admit I was once one of those people, I was oblivious to the fact that I had so much and took so many things for granted, I too was a spoiled American. We so often forget that even the poorest American is considered “spoiled” in many parts of the world. And then I began to pray, I began to ask God to give me a heart like His, I wanted to see people the way He sees them, I wanted to care about the things He cared about, and He answered that prayer and my life will never be the same..
I can’t eat a meal or feed my children without seeing images and hearing cries of starving children in this world. I can't play with my children without thinking about the lonely orphans wishing they too had a family, I can’t lie in bed at night without images of a homeless people filling my mind wishing they too had a place to lay their head. I can’t buy a stick of gum without thinking to myself is it worth it? Is it worth it to waste this money on gum while a child somewhere hasn’t eaten for days? I am haunted by these images and so many more everyday, every second of my life, because I prayed to have a heart and eyes like my Daddy. There are times I wish I could just have my old eyes and heart back..But the other part of me knows it’s needed..Jesus didn’t want to go to the cross, He cried out in the Garden ..Father is their another way? He knew what was ahead of Him..The pain, the torment, but I think the hardest for Him was to know He was about to see the images and feel the pain in his heart..Images of our sin flashed before His eyes..And He saw what would become of us if He didn’t go through with the cross..And with a heavy heart He went.Through the mocking He heard..Is it worth it?...Is this beating worth it? Is this pain worth it? Through the spit and laughter..maybe just for a moment He did wonder and turned His head toward heaven and asked…Father is this worth it? And then His eyes met the ones who would choose Him ..And from the core of His being He whispered…Yes they are more than worth it…
And now He is asking us the same question..Are the orphans worth it? Are the homeless worth it ? Poverty and places like Uganda exist because God is waiting for His children to listen to His call to GO and be His hands, feet, heart, mouth, arms..His Body to a lost and dying world…I am aware of the things that could happen to me when I travel to Uganda..I learned a long time ago that to Live is to Live for Christ and to die is gain because I get to spend eternity with Christ..Either way I win;) Its in the orphans, the widows, the homeless, and the outcast that Jesus said, you want to find me?.. then come to me here..This is where I will be…waiting for you...I have looked into the eyes of an orphan and it was there that I seen the face Jesus and I can say with everything in me that IT IS WORTH IT!.......
Friday, June 19, 2009
" I am with you always" Matthew 28:20
This is a picture of Morgan's softball coach at their end of the season pool party, Morgan hugged him and this is the image that was left!! How awesome is that?!?! Jesus wanted some pool time fun too!! hehe;) this seriously made me cry!! and I hope it blesses you as well!!:)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Switching Gears;)
Take a hold of my hand as I lead you with me into the Fields of the Fatherless, hold on tight as my adventure with the Lord, isn’t one that is for the faint at heart, nope buckle your seatbelts kids, this is gonna be a wild ride! My journey starts back in September when I came across the Caroline’s Promise website, the overwhelming burning in my heart let me know I needed to contact her, little did I know what God had up His sleeve..Meeting Lisa was lifechanging, she had this passion for orphans that I had never seen before, and it was through her that God began to speak to my own heart, about His burden for the fatherless and asked me to join with Him in this journey. My first step in that journey was the Survivor Guatemala contest that Wbfj hosted, I prayed and allowed God to write my story, because honestly I had no idea what to write, this was God’s idea afterall;) And then I find out that I have made it to the top ten! My reply to God was ummmm ok God now what? Are you really going to send me on a mission trip? Seriously though…Me? Lol And in that still small voice of the Lord, I heard child do you trust me? And so my journey continued..
I didn’t win the contest but what God opened my eyes to through this contest, still blows me away..I wanted to know more about orphans and prayed that God would give me His heart and burden for them..and what He said to my heart forever opened my eyes..He said Amanda I can’t give you my heart and burden for them..because if I did it would overwhelm and consume you. I will give you just what you need to fulfill the purpose I have placed on your life.. And so He has…I have been disturbed by the Lord on this issue and my life will never be the same, My normal day to day activities are forever filled with images of those that have no home, no family, no HOPE…I have stared into the eyes of orphans, and what stared back at me will haunt me for the rest of my life. They are empty vessels where no joy, peace, or love reside there..just a cold empty shell, they have guarded their hearts from loving because it just hurts to much to feel…Can you hear their cries? Screams? Can you feel their loneliness? Abandonment? Pain? As Christians we don’t have to choice whether we hear the cry of the orphans. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 God isn’t saying if you feel like hearing the cries of fatherless then you have the option to join with Him to take care of them, no He commands us as His children, those that bear His name to take care of those that are so close to His heart, He wants to give us His ears to hear their cries and His heart to feel their pain and through that He wants to use us to go bodly into the fields of the fatherless to bring them hope..His hope..hope that will forever change their lives..and yours..if you allow it..
I have fell before the throne of my King, and cried out to Him, telling him to send me wherever, that I was ready to go..and that leads me back to Guatemala..I continued on that journey because I felt that is where the Lord was leading..that is until last weekend..On April 24th I received a email from Lisa, stating that I needed half of my money for the trip by that Sunday, I was devastated as I surely thought the money was coming in, and I sent a message back to her asking her to pray because I wasn’t sure what God was doing..I crawled up in the lap of my Heavenly Father, asking why this wasn’t working out..I thought I was suppose to go..and through His warm embrace He whispered..my child its only Friday..Sunday is Coming;)…Oh how I was about to find out just what God meant through that simple yet powerful statement! On my way to my mission trip meeting Saturday evening, I prayed that God would show me if I was to continue on the journey to Guatemala or if wanted me to go somewhere else and that I surrendered my will to Him, that I didn’t want to go on any mission trip, I wanted to go where God was leading...And as I sat in that meeting, I felt so disconnected from the group..like I was there but I really wasn’t..and as they were all talking about their ideas..I had nothing to give..My heart cried out to God, where is my place here? Why do you need me in Guatemala? And I began to feel the lord closing the door to Guatemala and it broke my heart..I left there a mess and cried all the way home, I just couldn’t understand why all this was happening and what all of it meant.
It was then that God began to remind me of something I had read in the book called “Strength of Mercy” where the Lord sends this couple on an amazing journey into the fields of the fatherless where they find their baby girl..At first though He sends them a picture of one child and uses that child to prepare there hearts, to open their eyes and to allow them to learn to trust Him with their plans and to direct their steps, and when He closes that door on them adopting that child, He whispers to their soul, you can’t dwell on this, because I have showed you this child to prepare your heart for another one. And I felt the Lord reminding me of this and giving me peace, that Guatemala was my”first baby” It was what He used to open my eyes and light the fire inside for orphans..I sent Lisa a email explaining how I was feeling and how I felt the Lord was closing the door to Guatemala to open a new door…. Africa..And I just wanted her to pray that God would give me something to confirm it and give me peace..After I sent the email..I opened up my daily devotion that sits on my desk and God could'nt have spoken anymore clearly to my heart, so clear that it nearly knocked me out of my chair! This is what I read “ Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:19 WOW Loud and clear the Lord was saying Amanda I know you are disappointed and heartbroken that I have shut the door to Guatemala but you can’t dwell on the past, because I am doing a new thing Africa! It has already sprung up in your heart, can’t you already see it?? And I am already there paving a way in the desert and wasteland!! Just as the Lord had spoke to that couple in the book, He was speaking to me now! Ahhh when God speaks He speaks!;)
I have known for awhile that the Lord was going to send me to Africa..The Lord is pulling my heart towards there and it grows more unbearable as everyday passes, so much so that if the Lord were to say Amanda, pack up everything and move your family to Africa to be full time missionaries there we would and not look back! Just hearing the name Africa, my heart leaps and overflows with burden. Its not just that I want to go to Africa, its that I have to go or the fire inside my heart and soul for Africa will consume me. There is hidden treasures in Africa that the Lord is calling me there to find, and I am not sure if Africa needs me so much as I believe the Lord is calling me there because I need Africa. I received a email back from Lisa that Sunday night and she replied that she too felt the Lord was shutting the door to Guatemala, and let me know that Caroline’s Promise was going to Uganda….but that they were'nt planning there first mission trip there till the fall of 2010..I admit I was bummed as I am ready to go now..but surrendered my will once again to the Lord, and said if that’s when you want me to go then I will wait Lord..I submit to your plans. "We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:1-3, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" Proverbs 16:9 I knew my plans what my plans were and I knew my motives were right in wanting to go on a mission trip..but until they were lined up with the Lords plan, I didn't want any part of it..
I was willing to wait and laid my hearts desire at His feet and asked ok Lord whats next.. And the Lord once again answered;)…I had a few weeks earlier requested a packet about starting a girls GEMS group, and well the packet had arrived in my mailbox..and what I found when I opened it, drew me to my knees! Tucked inside the folder just beaming at me, was a little African orphan girl..and James 1:27 written across the top and on the back in big bold letters was The call to Africa, there is so much waiting to be done! As I am reading the flyer..I noticed that they were building a school there for these orphans..and the name of it is The Esther school..ok your wondering whats the big deal? Well let me tell you;)…That very morning I felt intrigued to read the whole book of Esther as God has revealed to me that I resemble her..so off I went into the incredible journey of Esther and what an awesome book that is! And here I was reading the flyer that came out of the blue and clearly the school of Esther was staring back at me! And confirming in my soul that My God was up to something HUGE!
And so now my journey begins towards Africa..do I know exactly when I will be going? Nope..Do I know what exactly what I will be doing when I get there? Nope..But one thing I know for certain..My God is directing my steps and is there making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland..And I trust Him with everything I have.. and know that God is the one that has taken me on this journey into the fields of the fatherless and I fall before the King, surrendering my all and give Him my life to use however He wants. And as my friend reminded me yesterday in Philippians that Jesus was able to sleep during a storm because He had the perfect peace that His father was in control..I too can walk boldly in my calling even in the uncertain times because I know who is in control..He won’t guide me or lead me anywhere that He is'nt already there For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11...And so once again I crawl up in my Heavenly Daddy's lap and ask Him ..whats next daddy? And He whispered… my child..hold on and hold on tight..its gonna be a wild ride!!;)
I didn’t win the contest but what God opened my eyes to through this contest, still blows me away..I wanted to know more about orphans and prayed that God would give me His heart and burden for them..and what He said to my heart forever opened my eyes..He said Amanda I can’t give you my heart and burden for them..because if I did it would overwhelm and consume you. I will give you just what you need to fulfill the purpose I have placed on your life.. And so He has…I have been disturbed by the Lord on this issue and my life will never be the same, My normal day to day activities are forever filled with images of those that have no home, no family, no HOPE…I have stared into the eyes of orphans, and what stared back at me will haunt me for the rest of my life. They are empty vessels where no joy, peace, or love reside there..just a cold empty shell, they have guarded their hearts from loving because it just hurts to much to feel…Can you hear their cries? Screams? Can you feel their loneliness? Abandonment? Pain? As Christians we don’t have to choice whether we hear the cry of the orphans. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 God isn’t saying if you feel like hearing the cries of fatherless then you have the option to join with Him to take care of them, no He commands us as His children, those that bear His name to take care of those that are so close to His heart, He wants to give us His ears to hear their cries and His heart to feel their pain and through that He wants to use us to go bodly into the fields of the fatherless to bring them hope..His hope..hope that will forever change their lives..and yours..if you allow it..
I have fell before the throne of my King, and cried out to Him, telling him to send me wherever, that I was ready to go..and that leads me back to Guatemala..I continued on that journey because I felt that is where the Lord was leading..that is until last weekend..On April 24th I received a email from Lisa, stating that I needed half of my money for the trip by that Sunday, I was devastated as I surely thought the money was coming in, and I sent a message back to her asking her to pray because I wasn’t sure what God was doing..I crawled up in the lap of my Heavenly Father, asking why this wasn’t working out..I thought I was suppose to go..and through His warm embrace He whispered..my child its only Friday..Sunday is Coming;)…Oh how I was about to find out just what God meant through that simple yet powerful statement! On my way to my mission trip meeting Saturday evening, I prayed that God would show me if I was to continue on the journey to Guatemala or if wanted me to go somewhere else and that I surrendered my will to Him, that I didn’t want to go on any mission trip, I wanted to go where God was leading...And as I sat in that meeting, I felt so disconnected from the group..like I was there but I really wasn’t..and as they were all talking about their ideas..I had nothing to give..My heart cried out to God, where is my place here? Why do you need me in Guatemala? And I began to feel the lord closing the door to Guatemala and it broke my heart..I left there a mess and cried all the way home, I just couldn’t understand why all this was happening and what all of it meant.
It was then that God began to remind me of something I had read in the book called “Strength of Mercy” where the Lord sends this couple on an amazing journey into the fields of the fatherless where they find their baby girl..At first though He sends them a picture of one child and uses that child to prepare there hearts, to open their eyes and to allow them to learn to trust Him with their plans and to direct their steps, and when He closes that door on them adopting that child, He whispers to their soul, you can’t dwell on this, because I have showed you this child to prepare your heart for another one. And I felt the Lord reminding me of this and giving me peace, that Guatemala was my”first baby” It was what He used to open my eyes and light the fire inside for orphans..I sent Lisa a email explaining how I was feeling and how I felt the Lord was closing the door to Guatemala to open a new door…. Africa..And I just wanted her to pray that God would give me something to confirm it and give me peace..After I sent the email..I opened up my daily devotion that sits on my desk and God could'nt have spoken anymore clearly to my heart, so clear that it nearly knocked me out of my chair! This is what I read “ Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:19 WOW Loud and clear the Lord was saying Amanda I know you are disappointed and heartbroken that I have shut the door to Guatemala but you can’t dwell on the past, because I am doing a new thing Africa! It has already sprung up in your heart, can’t you already see it?? And I am already there paving a way in the desert and wasteland!! Just as the Lord had spoke to that couple in the book, He was speaking to me now! Ahhh when God speaks He speaks!;)
I have known for awhile that the Lord was going to send me to Africa..The Lord is pulling my heart towards there and it grows more unbearable as everyday passes, so much so that if the Lord were to say Amanda, pack up everything and move your family to Africa to be full time missionaries there we would and not look back! Just hearing the name Africa, my heart leaps and overflows with burden. Its not just that I want to go to Africa, its that I have to go or the fire inside my heart and soul for Africa will consume me. There is hidden treasures in Africa that the Lord is calling me there to find, and I am not sure if Africa needs me so much as I believe the Lord is calling me there because I need Africa. I received a email back from Lisa that Sunday night and she replied that she too felt the Lord was shutting the door to Guatemala, and let me know that Caroline’s Promise was going to Uganda….but that they were'nt planning there first mission trip there till the fall of 2010..I admit I was bummed as I am ready to go now..but surrendered my will once again to the Lord, and said if that’s when you want me to go then I will wait Lord..I submit to your plans. "We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:1-3, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" Proverbs 16:9 I knew my plans what my plans were and I knew my motives were right in wanting to go on a mission trip..but until they were lined up with the Lords plan, I didn't want any part of it..
I was willing to wait and laid my hearts desire at His feet and asked ok Lord whats next.. And the Lord once again answered;)…I had a few weeks earlier requested a packet about starting a girls GEMS group, and well the packet had arrived in my mailbox..and what I found when I opened it, drew me to my knees! Tucked inside the folder just beaming at me, was a little African orphan girl..and James 1:27 written across the top and on the back in big bold letters was The call to Africa, there is so much waiting to be done! As I am reading the flyer..I noticed that they were building a school there for these orphans..and the name of it is The Esther school..ok your wondering whats the big deal? Well let me tell you;)…That very morning I felt intrigued to read the whole book of Esther as God has revealed to me that I resemble her..so off I went into the incredible journey of Esther and what an awesome book that is! And here I was reading the flyer that came out of the blue and clearly the school of Esther was staring back at me! And confirming in my soul that My God was up to something HUGE!
And so now my journey begins towards Africa..do I know exactly when I will be going? Nope..Do I know what exactly what I will be doing when I get there? Nope..But one thing I know for certain..My God is directing my steps and is there making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland..And I trust Him with everything I have.. and know that God is the one that has taken me on this journey into the fields of the fatherless and I fall before the King, surrendering my all and give Him my life to use however He wants. And as my friend reminded me yesterday in Philippians that Jesus was able to sleep during a storm because He had the perfect peace that His father was in control..I too can walk boldly in my calling even in the uncertain times because I know who is in control..He won’t guide me or lead me anywhere that He is'nt already there For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11...And so once again I crawl up in my Heavenly Daddy's lap and ask Him ..whats next daddy? And He whispered… my child..hold on and hold on tight..its gonna be a wild ride!!;)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Lapbooks;)
Me and the girls are having so much fun creating Lapbooks to go along with what we are learning and we just wanted to share with all our family and friends!;) The first one is our Lapbook to celebrate Earth Day;)
These two are Subtraction Facts and Phonic Rules!;)
Morgan is currently reading American Girl Josefina and we are going to do a Lapbook on her once she is finished!!;) Also we are so excited that God has led us back to My Father's World Curriculum and we will be starting the 3rd grade Adventures program the end of this summer and we are thrilled there are so many Lapbooks to make to go along with our lessons! So many fun things in store for us in our journey of Homeschooling with the Lord and we can't wait to share them with you all!!;)We hope you enjoy the pictures!! If you are interested in making your own Lapbooks you can find many resources here: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/Lapbooks_at_HSS.php and feel free to contact me with any questions!! May the Lord Bless You!!
Amanda;)
These two are Subtraction Facts and Phonic Rules!;)
Morgan is currently reading American Girl Josefina and we are going to do a Lapbook on her once she is finished!!;) Also we are so excited that God has led us back to My Father's World Curriculum and we will be starting the 3rd grade Adventures program the end of this summer and we are thrilled there are so many Lapbooks to make to go along with our lessons! So many fun things in store for us in our journey of Homeschooling with the Lord and we can't wait to share them with you all!!;)We hope you enjoy the pictures!! If you are interested in making your own Lapbooks you can find many resources here: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/Lapbooks_at_HSS.php and feel free to contact me with any questions!! May the Lord Bless You!!
Amanda;)
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