There is nothing else worth giving my life to
God is good, loving, patient, compassionate, just, and his character is the same, yesterday, today and forever
John Piper says that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Yes, I'm convinced of this.
My deepest need has been taken care of at the cross and so I don't ever have to fear losing my greatest treasure, my relationship with Him
His ways are "beyond tracing out" and I'll never understand all that he chooses this side of heaven, but I can rest in the fact that he sees all, knows all and controls all things
He is my truest source of joy, peace, strength, grace, hope
Mighty is the power of the cross
I came across this quote from a lady named Suzanne ( I read it on her blog) and it completely summarizes what God has been doing in my heart the past year.
"Are you going to stay in your comfortable little place and make sure everyone else around you is comfortable? We have the rest of our lives to be comfortable...in heaven, for eternity! I wanna go outa here all wrinkled, tired and ragged, looking like I have lived life to the fullest. At this ONE chance (called life on earth) to do something significant to bring God and God alone glory."
I couldn't have said it better. Friends, God has put adoption on our hearts. It's something Billy and I have talked about since we got married. We have always been open to where God might lead. We are praying through finances ( I wish it wasn't so dang expensive) and domestic vs. international. My heart is drawn to Africa. My heart is also drawn here to the "least likely" to be adopted. God has changed my perspective on the way we live and shown me so many things I can do without. Ok, like the operation Christmas child shoe boxes. Don't we have this backwards? Shouldn't we be sending millions of dollars that we as Americans spend on Christmas when in reality our kids don't NEED anything. Maybe we should give our children shoeboxes and send the money to children across the world who have nothing! Please don't hear me say that it's wrong to have nice things, but for me, God has shown practical ways I can sacrifice. And the best part is that it's my great privilege to do it, to trust and obey.... so we can go to Africa or wherever God leads!
I long to be eternally focused and not waste my life on all these things that won't last forever. The Word of God and the souls of men! God's glory! The gospel! God's kingdom!
"I have been crucified with Christ, it's no longer I who live, but Christ in me. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Lord, make this true of my life!
I've been reading Radical by David Platt. Don't read it unless you want to be challenged!! He says-
" And this is where we need to pause. Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are comfortable with. A nice, middle-class American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who could not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just he way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream.
"But do you and I realize what we are actually doing at this point? We are molding Jesus into our image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church buildings to sing and lift our hands in worship, we may not actually we worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead we may be worshiping ourselves."
Wow. There is nothing else to say. Just let those statements soak in for a while. I'll keep you posted on the adoption process.
Phew, that's all for now :)
A Recap in pictures ( not in order)...Start of school, football, Camping, Halloween, Troy Homecoming and Thanksgiving. We've had a fun Fall!
Next time I'll share pictures of Elley's 5th birthday and Holden's 9th....we had some fun parties!!
