Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
updated pics
I have so much to be thankful for, God has truly, truly Blessed me with an amazing Family!! My husband and kids are the best!! Here are some updated pics of the family for your viewing pleasure.....
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
United 4 Orphans
A community striving to make a difference in the Orphan Crisis through out the World!!
Come Join Us!!!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Get Your Life In Shape
Read this this morning....a great post by my cousin Tony....really hit home!
Get your Life In Shape
"I haven't been able to start this yet..." "I haven't felt powerful enough for that..." "I don't feel really focused..." "I've been lazy..." "I haven't had time to..." Ever said any of those before? In our church we recognized ourselves saying these same things over and over again this last summer, and felt like God was trying to tell us something! So we responded, and this month our church has been focusing on a series about discipline!
What is discipline, you ask? Great question. Maybe it's like what Louis Armstrong said about jazz - "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." But I think we can take a look at a couple of definitions. Off the top of my head, I can't remember who said these, but they've stuck:
Being able to do what needs to get done, when it needs to get done.
Applying pain or restraint for redemptive purposes.
The Bible, of course, also has a lot to say about discipline. If I were (and I'm going to) take a stab at defining discipline according to the Bible, I would say that discipline is...
To be corrected, shaped, trained, punished, or restrained from errant behavior, usually in the context of obeying God, living righteously, or accomplishing a calling/purpose.
I'm crafting this definition mostly from the two places that the topic of discipline explicitly occurs the most: in the book of Proverbs and in Hebrews 12. Proverbs is a book about choosing a life of wisdom. Hebrews is a book about heroes who lived an adventurous faith. So if you take the occurrences of discipline from both these books, you can draw two very powerful conclusions about embracing a disciplined life:
1. It is wise to be disciplined (Proverbs)
2. Discipline is the key to becoming great (Hebrews)
So if you'd like to live a wise life that actually accomplishes the great purposes for which God has called you (albeit in your marriage, your career, your ministry, etc.), then this is for you. But it takes a little shaping up for us to move in that direction. So I'd like to share some practical keys that we discussed on how to do that. But first, I need to share a couple of rules of thumb to make sense out of those keys.
You reap what you sow
You will only be as capable as the effort you put in, and what you are is what comes out. So the more you work and maintain an aspect of your life (health, a skill, hobby, career, relationship, walking in the Spirit, etc.), the more effective you will be at it. Transformation and success don't just come to you. You have to work at it intentionally.
No discipline = death
Sorry to be so harsh, but Proverbs 5:21-23 is pretty clear about what happens if you fail to work at the things that are important - they die. A lack of discipline will result in death to your dreams, opportunities, career, relationships, etc. But the ones who are the most disciplined in life will experience fuller lives. Unfortunately, while many people don't "finish" well, especially leaders, it's just as true that many more people don't start well. Or start at all!
Ok, so here are 5 keys of discipline to shape up your life:
1. Have a vision for your life, and write it out.
What is it that you want to do? What do you need to do? What does God want you to do? What is your calling? Where is your life going? What are your opportunities? What are your obstacles? What are your dreams and goals? The point is, be aware about what your life is about and should be about. And put that into writing.
2. Have a "Game Day" for your life
Most people don't like discipline because they feel like they're working hard for nothing. We all know that athletes or musicians practice because they have to perform. What is it that you're working for? When do you need to "perform". If you aren't already an athlete or performing artist, then maybe your performance is your job, your relationships, your family, your ministry, etc.
3. Have a plan for your vision, and write it out
How will you accomplish your goals? What will it take for you to do that? What are your steps to get there? When you will work on it? The idea here is to be intentional about prioritizing what needs to get done, when it needs to get done. If you don't have a specific action plan and schedule, then you'll constantly find yourself on dates with Mr. TV or Miss Couch Potato.
4. Have some accountability
Who knows about your goals? Who is going to help you and challenge you? If you communicate these things to other people, then it greatly increases your chances of being successful at those those important things in your life.
5. No more excuses, just do it.
Actually, most people are good at steps 1-4. It's 5 that is the killer. But if you want to be a person of integrity, who does what you say want to do, then you'll just do it.
Get your Life In Shape
"I haven't been able to start this yet..." "I haven't felt powerful enough for that..." "I don't feel really focused..." "I've been lazy..." "I haven't had time to..." Ever said any of those before? In our church we recognized ourselves saying these same things over and over again this last summer, and felt like God was trying to tell us something! So we responded, and this month our church has been focusing on a series about discipline!
What is discipline, you ask? Great question. Maybe it's like what Louis Armstrong said about jazz - "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." But I think we can take a look at a couple of definitions. Off the top of my head, I can't remember who said these, but they've stuck:
Being able to do what needs to get done, when it needs to get done.
Applying pain or restraint for redemptive purposes.
The Bible, of course, also has a lot to say about discipline. If I were (and I'm going to) take a stab at defining discipline according to the Bible, I would say that discipline is...
To be corrected, shaped, trained, punished, or restrained from errant behavior, usually in the context of obeying God, living righteously, or accomplishing a calling/purpose.
I'm crafting this definition mostly from the two places that the topic of discipline explicitly occurs the most: in the book of Proverbs and in Hebrews 12. Proverbs is a book about choosing a life of wisdom. Hebrews is a book about heroes who lived an adventurous faith. So if you take the occurrences of discipline from both these books, you can draw two very powerful conclusions about embracing a disciplined life:
1. It is wise to be disciplined (Proverbs)
2. Discipline is the key to becoming great (Hebrews)
So if you'd like to live a wise life that actually accomplishes the great purposes for which God has called you (albeit in your marriage, your career, your ministry, etc.), then this is for you. But it takes a little shaping up for us to move in that direction. So I'd like to share some practical keys that we discussed on how to do that. But first, I need to share a couple of rules of thumb to make sense out of those keys.
You reap what you sow
You will only be as capable as the effort you put in, and what you are is what comes out. So the more you work and maintain an aspect of your life (health, a skill, hobby, career, relationship, walking in the Spirit, etc.), the more effective you will be at it. Transformation and success don't just come to you. You have to work at it intentionally.
No discipline = death
Sorry to be so harsh, but Proverbs 5:21-23 is pretty clear about what happens if you fail to work at the things that are important - they die. A lack of discipline will result in death to your dreams, opportunities, career, relationships, etc. But the ones who are the most disciplined in life will experience fuller lives. Unfortunately, while many people don't "finish" well, especially leaders, it's just as true that many more people don't start well. Or start at all!
Ok, so here are 5 keys of discipline to shape up your life:
1. Have a vision for your life, and write it out.
What is it that you want to do? What do you need to do? What does God want you to do? What is your calling? Where is your life going? What are your opportunities? What are your obstacles? What are your dreams and goals? The point is, be aware about what your life is about and should be about. And put that into writing.
2. Have a "Game Day" for your life
Most people don't like discipline because they feel like they're working hard for nothing. We all know that athletes or musicians practice because they have to perform. What is it that you're working for? When do you need to "perform". If you aren't already an athlete or performing artist, then maybe your performance is your job, your relationships, your family, your ministry, etc.
3. Have a plan for your vision, and write it out
How will you accomplish your goals? What will it take for you to do that? What are your steps to get there? When you will work on it? The idea here is to be intentional about prioritizing what needs to get done, when it needs to get done. If you don't have a specific action plan and schedule, then you'll constantly find yourself on dates with Mr. TV or Miss Couch Potato.
4. Have some accountability
Who knows about your goals? Who is going to help you and challenge you? If you communicate these things to other people, then it greatly increases your chances of being successful at those those important things in your life.
5. No more excuses, just do it.
Actually, most people are good at steps 1-4. It's 5 that is the killer. But if you want to be a person of integrity, who does what you say want to do, then you'll just do it.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Singer/song writer/orphan advocate
YOU need to check out Aaron Ivey...a great singer/song writer and an orphan advocate to top it off!!! Go check him out!!! aaronivey.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Wolfman
Went to Wisconsin with some friends over the weekend for the Wolfman Triathlon. Had a BLAST!!!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
AMAZING
Someone sent me this today and thought that I would share it with you all as well....amazing story!!!
Small Prayers Answered..........
Along this adoption journey over the past two years I have prayed many prayers. Some of these prayers have been simple, some in times of desperation, some selfish, some without words because they just wouldn't come, but none went unnoticed by my Father. He heard every one and answered-
I want to share with you an amazing thing that God did while we were in Ethiopia a few weeks ago. As most of you know this process was full of pain for us and full of questions. One of the biggest questions that I had personally was how did our kids get to the orphanage and why was the process so long once they got there. I had pieced together some information and I knew that our children were taken to an orphanage in Zway by Case Abraham for a period of time prior to going to the transition house in Addis but beyond that I knew very little. One of my little selfish prayers was that God would let me fill in some of the time between when they left from the island and when they arrived at the transition house in Addis.
For anyone who has adopted you know that information is very hard to come by and the information that you are given is not always correct. I had asked on several occasions about the orphanage where our children spent some time and all that I was told was that the orphanage was closed and no longer in operation. I assumed from that information that we would never know much about our twins lives while in the orphanage but God is so much bigger than my thinking!
Hang with me as I share with you how God answered my prayer- Last January, David and I volunteered at passion 2010. While we were at Passion we walked over to the "Do Something Now" center to look around at ways that the college students could get involved in mission projects around the world. As we neared the bottom of the escalator we saw a large coffee shop area to our right and we walked over to see what the proceeds of the coffee sold were going to. We both were caught off guard to see that the sale of coffee at Passion 2010 was being used to help orphans in none other than Zway, Ethiopia.
We quickly found the owners of Gobena Coffee and shared with them that our children were from Zway and that we were waiting to bring them home yet we were having many issues with actually getting them here. They shared with us that they work with a couple named Gary and Peggy Ift and they suggested we contact them to see if they could be of any help during the process. We did contact Gary and started having brief conversations with him about orphan care in that area. We quickly realized that our paperwork issues couldn't be resolved by the Ift's but what they were doing in Zway was very interesting to us.
While we were in Zway visiting the island for a couple of days we decided to contact Peggy and Gary to see how God was using their ministry in Zway. David was heading out to one of the islands on Lake Zway for the day and so I made plans to spend the morning with Gary and Peggy. I called to see if we could meet them out in the community somewhere and Peggy explained that Gary was waiting at their home for us and that someone was there who wanted to meet us. I had no idea who would be in the middle of Zway, Ethiopia waiting to meet us and so I quickly got the kids ready to go.
My sister and I pile the kids into the van and we took a short drive to the Ift's home. When we arrived Eskel our driver pulled up to their large gate and blew the horn. Mr. Ift came out to greet us and ask us to come inside their compound. As we went into the gated area Tia and Garrett went running over to a lady who was coming off of the Ift's front porch.
As they went running Gary started explaining to me that the lady they were running towards was their caretaker at the orphanage in Zway. Again I started to cry as I realized that God hears my every single, selfish cry. Now what are the odds that Gary and Peggy's hired house help use to care for my children two years ago? Not only did she care for them but she cared for them during the period of their life that I knew nothing about.
I was so thankful that this caring lady was able to share with me about their time in the Zway orphanage. She shed so much light on all of the paperwork struggles and time line problems that had taken place with our adoption. She was so willing to share about her time with the twins while they were at the orphanage.
She has no idea but she was a part of a small answered prayer- An answer that reminds me that He cares about the small things more than even I do. As I hugged this precious lady goodbye I felt her arms around me and thought back to the first day that she held Tia and Garrett in her arms. I am sure that they were scared and confused yet God had her there to wrap her arms around them with His love.
Small Prayers Answered..........
Along this adoption journey over the past two years I have prayed many prayers. Some of these prayers have been simple, some in times of desperation, some selfish, some without words because they just wouldn't come, but none went unnoticed by my Father. He heard every one and answered-
I want to share with you an amazing thing that God did while we were in Ethiopia a few weeks ago. As most of you know this process was full of pain for us and full of questions. One of the biggest questions that I had personally was how did our kids get to the orphanage and why was the process so long once they got there. I had pieced together some information and I knew that our children were taken to an orphanage in Zway by Case Abraham for a period of time prior to going to the transition house in Addis but beyond that I knew very little. One of my little selfish prayers was that God would let me fill in some of the time between when they left from the island and when they arrived at the transition house in Addis.
For anyone who has adopted you know that information is very hard to come by and the information that you are given is not always correct. I had asked on several occasions about the orphanage where our children spent some time and all that I was told was that the orphanage was closed and no longer in operation. I assumed from that information that we would never know much about our twins lives while in the orphanage but God is so much bigger than my thinking!
Hang with me as I share with you how God answered my prayer- Last January, David and I volunteered at passion 2010. While we were at Passion we walked over to the "Do Something Now" center to look around at ways that the college students could get involved in mission projects around the world. As we neared the bottom of the escalator we saw a large coffee shop area to our right and we walked over to see what the proceeds of the coffee sold were going to. We both were caught off guard to see that the sale of coffee at Passion 2010 was being used to help orphans in none other than Zway, Ethiopia.
We quickly found the owners of Gobena Coffee and shared with them that our children were from Zway and that we were waiting to bring them home yet we were having many issues with actually getting them here. They shared with us that they work with a couple named Gary and Peggy Ift and they suggested we contact them to see if they could be of any help during the process. We did contact Gary and started having brief conversations with him about orphan care in that area. We quickly realized that our paperwork issues couldn't be resolved by the Ift's but what they were doing in Zway was very interesting to us.
While we were in Zway visiting the island for a couple of days we decided to contact Peggy and Gary to see how God was using their ministry in Zway. David was heading out to one of the islands on Lake Zway for the day and so I made plans to spend the morning with Gary and Peggy. I called to see if we could meet them out in the community somewhere and Peggy explained that Gary was waiting at their home for us and that someone was there who wanted to meet us. I had no idea who would be in the middle of Zway, Ethiopia waiting to meet us and so I quickly got the kids ready to go.
My sister and I pile the kids into the van and we took a short drive to the Ift's home. When we arrived Eskel our driver pulled up to their large gate and blew the horn. Mr. Ift came out to greet us and ask us to come inside their compound. As we went into the gated area Tia and Garrett went running over to a lady who was coming off of the Ift's front porch.
As they went running Gary started explaining to me that the lady they were running towards was their caretaker at the orphanage in Zway. Again I started to cry as I realized that God hears my every single, selfish cry. Now what are the odds that Gary and Peggy's hired house help use to care for my children two years ago? Not only did she care for them but she cared for them during the period of their life that I knew nothing about.
I was so thankful that this caring lady was able to share with me about their time in the Zway orphanage. She shed so much light on all of the paperwork struggles and time line problems that had taken place with our adoption. She was so willing to share about her time with the twins while they were at the orphanage.
She has no idea but she was a part of a small answered prayer- An answer that reminds me that He cares about the small things more than even I do. As I hugged this precious lady goodbye I felt her arms around me and thought back to the first day that she held Tia and Garrett in her arms. I am sure that they were scared and confused yet God had her there to wrap her arms around them with His love.
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