Friday, July 30, 2010

Helping a friend

We have some friends who are in the process of adopting. Please read about how you can help here: http://helpushelpchildren.blogspot.com/
There is a precious boy waiting to come home. Will you help us help him?
Thank you,
Ami

Monday, July 12, 2010

Foster Care Prayer Requests

This is Amazing. Please read and pray!
Foster Care Prayer Requests

1.Pray for the children entering foster care today, that they find an appropriate, kind and loving foster family to care for them until their birth families or relatives are able to do so.

2.Pray for the sibling groups of children entering foster care today, that they will be placed together in one foster home.

3.Pray for all the foster children in care, that their first foster home is also their last foster home, as multiple placements rob children of stability and love which is required to build the self-esteem needed to grow into responsible, caring adults.

4.Pray that more singles, couples and families become foster parents. More experienced and caring foster homes are needed to enable Division of Youth and Families Services to make appropriate placements that keep siblings together, make the first foster placement the only foster care placement, and assure each foster home is able and willing to meet the special needs of their foster children.

5.Pray that all children in out-of-home care will quickly return to a safe home or find an alternative permanent and loving home.

6.Please pray for God's intervention with all families, particularly those struggling against alcohol and drug abuse, and mental illness, to enable them to successfully complete programs for recovery, and allow the reunification of foster children to safe and caring birth families.

7.Please pray that the federal, state and local governments, will see the plight of so many of our children whose families are wrecked by drug and alcohol abuse, and work toward prevention and increasing services for addicts, particularly addicts with children.

8.Pray that God blesses all the Division of Youth and Families Services caseworkers and staff who make decisions daily which have a huge impact on the lives of children and families. Their job is a thankless one, requiring walking a thin line, in that they are continually criticized for being too intrusive, removing children too quickly; and for not acting quickly enough, whenever a child is abused.

9.When a family reunification is unlikely in a reasonable time period, we pray that God's hand guides the judges at termination of parental rights trials to make their decision in the child's best interest. God bless the judges who must decide whether or not children return to birth families or become freed for adoption.

10.Pray for all those children whose birth families are unable to care for them, are freed for adoption, but have nobody willing to give them a forever home. Although more than 80 percent of foster children freed for adoption are adopted by their foster families, today there are 500 children awaiting forever homes in New Jersey.

11.Pray that foster and adoptive families and their children receive the support and understanding of their communities.

12. Bless those who put idea into action and make a positive difference in the lives of children, particularly children in foster care.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Janet Farrand is a 15 year foster and adoptive parent, President of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, and founder of the program. Janet and Geneva Hill, a foster and adoptive parent and past President of the Essex County Foster and Adoptive Family Services, wrote the prayer concerns. Janet can be reached at jlfarrand@earthlink.net. For more information about becoming a foster parent or adopting in New Jersey, please call 1-800-222-0047.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Meeting for the first time

As I read this blog post I was awestruck at how kind our God really is. We were unable to go to Liberia with our team. We didn't get to meet our children, but God knew why. That is enough. I am filled with Joy for our friends in Christ and look forward to a day when all our family can be together, whether in Heaven or on Earth.
http://whenyouriseup.blogspot.com/2010/06/liberia-part-1-moments-of-meeting.html
I received a letter from Lydia and Leo's foster mom today and several pictures from a friend via email.
I am filled with emotion. Thank you Lord. Your timing is perfect and that is enough.
Ami

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Debt

Do you have debt? How much? $500? $500,000? Are you a Christian? Do you know that even if you owe no monetary debt you have a debt you can never pay?
Romans 13:8 tlb says "Pay ALL your debts except the debt of Love for others----never finish paying that!"
I think it is interesting how God gives us the command to pay all of our debts except for the debt of love we owe others. When I think of the word love I think of it as a verb. Something you do. I Corinthians chapter 13---the LOVE chapter, it's unattainable. We may get bits and pieces of it from time to time but we are never gonna get it and are never gonna get it all right. So why would God give us a debt that we can't pay when He Clearly commands us to pay ALL our debts except that one? I don't pretend to know this. One thought that comes to mind is we are infinitely selfish creatures. To love others is easy for some and most difficult for others. I believe each of us has been given a gift to love others as we draw on God's love for us.
I hear a lot of talk of Grace and how we don't have to add to the finished work of Christ. I believe that with all my heart however I also read in scripture we have a debt to pay----that we are commanded to never stop paying. Wow. Now that is convicting! I don't want to love my neighbors sometimes. It isn't convenient. It gets in the way of what I want to do and what I think I need to do.It takes time, you know?
I Corinthians 13 gives a great description of what Love is and isn't. I have a poster of it in my kitchen.
It says:
Love is Patient
Love is Kind
It does not want what belongs to others.
It does not brag.
It is not proud.
It is not rude.
It does not look out for its own interests.
It does not easily become angry.
It does not keep track of wrongs.
Love is not happy with evil.
But is full of Joy when the truth is spoken.
It Always protects.
It always trusts.
It always hopes.
It never gives up.
Love never fails.
How kind of God to give us our entire life to pay this debt. I know I am going to need a lifetime and then some!
Keep pressing in and keep looking up. If you do have monetary debt--get out of it as soon as possible so that you may become a slave to God and not to the lender.
And while you're at it---start today by loving your neighbor in a practical way. Figure out what that looks like for you and just do it. Remember the scripture that says to "Practice Hospitality" I believe "Practice Makes Progress" So practice hospitality and start practicing loving your neighbor. Do it today.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Today

Today, the team I am on is leaving for West Africa (Liberia). My family and I will not be on that plane. Funny-odd-funny, I put on a shirt this morning from a dear friend in South Africa. It says "It is Finished!" at the top and then quotes Rev. 21:6-7. Incidentally my daughter is wearing my "Hope in the Dark" Tee shirt. It has a picture of Africa on it and on the back it says "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you." Symbolic of this day? Sure. We all have to push through our own hurt and bitterness and pray our team through this trip. it is going to be a turning point trip for so many even the ones who had to stay behind. So while I fight my tears and wish once again the pain was not so bad and that I had a button to stop the hurt, I am choosing to push through and pray. The spiritual warfare over Liberia is so intense. It's so intense it even affects people who are involved with that country that haven't even been there---yet.
So while I think of letting Musu down and our children Lydia and Leo down and our team-mates down, I also think we serve a mighty God who can do all things. I do not think of this as a closed door---I think of it as God flinging it WIDE open and saying come follow me. What if, say, Moses after only one visit with pharaoh said, "well that was a closed door---not going back. See God he said no." Door closed. What if Joseph did the same thing???? Get the picture? God's people simply have to persevere. We must heed the call to care for the Orphan. It is the Father's heart. As Christians we are to become more like our Father. Pure religion is to care for the orphans...
So will you pray with me today? We need peace. We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and start digging our heels in and start praying for our team. Time to dust off the ashes and kick satan in the butt. Time to go to war!!!!!!! Let's pray. Will you do it now?

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Our Trip to Liberia

Dear Friends and Family,

Adrian has asked me to take on the “task” of writing this letter. I have put it off and now just want to get it over with. While the flight we have tickets for to Liberia is leaving on June 17th the Carr family will NOT be on it. For many reasons we had to cancel. Yes, God provided what we needed to get there however my husband thinks it would be unwise to go at this time.
We are not ready to share everything yet. At least I (Ami) am not. We just need some time to heal and regroup. To those of you who contributed financially your checks will be torn up. If for some reason one was cashed please let us know. We will be glad to reimburse you.
Thank you for your prayers at this most difficult time in our lives.
Sincerely,
Ami and Adrian (Rachel and Johnny)
PS I know that many of you still have many unanswered questions about our adoption. I will get to those questions as soon as I am able. It's too raw right now. In the meantime we are doing our best to serve three blessings from foster care. We think we will be seeing a reunification VERY soon...PRAISE THE LORD for HE is SO WORTHY to be praised!

pss Rachel and I have felt called to make recycled paper beads and sell them to help people in need around us. If you would like to help support a single mom about to give birth please click here: http://helpushelpchildren.blogspot.com/2010/06/pro-life.html
AND REMEMBER OUR MANTRA IS "JUST BECAUSE IT IS HARD DOES NOT MEAN IT ISN'T THE LORDS WILL"

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Shopping

And Other thoughts.
Okay so my family (daughter) has been pleading with me of late to buy some new clothes. I kept telling her "no, I don't need them" So then my husband starts backing her up. What's a girl to do? I used to live to shop. That was in my younger days---MUCH younger days---we're talking 80's Early 90's folks...
So I dragged myself out of bed yesterday got my sleeping daughter up and headed to Old Navy for the $2.00 tank tops. I couldn't justify buying any for myself. Hey. Rachel wears the same size as me, we'll share.
After a shopping spree at "Old Navy" that cost less than $10 we headed over to the Mall, JC Penney's to be exact. I was armed with two $10 off coupons ($20 in savings) plus a %15 off coupon and then found another coupon upon checkout. My receipt says I saved $268!!!!!! No, I did not even come close to spending that amount. I am the SCROOGE of the shopping world. I am not gonna spend more than $10 on a pair of shorts and I prefer not to go over $5 on a shirt...
Let's get back to the WHY did I need to shop? Ugh! My excuse was there are plenty of people out there that don't have clothing that looks nice or fits correctly but are still modest, right? Well I have recently, unintentionally mind you, lost close to 40 pounds which means even my ,ahem, most essentials no longer fit. I guess since I live in America you could say I "needed" clothes. Oh there's that word "need" Well when the belt I was using to hold up the pants/shorts I owned was being wrapped around my waist twice I decided to give in. I went to Penney's. No luck in women's or misses. NOTHING fit. The sales lady kept ushering me to Juniors. That was the LAST place I wanted to go but the first place my daughter wanted to be without me trying on clothing in "her" department. After an appointment in Maryville last week I took my daughter to Rue 21. I picked up a dress to try on and to her horror it actually looked good and I bought it along with a pair of jeans that were $3.
So guess where I ended up yesterday? Yup, Juniors. (the old lady!)
I even got a shirt that was marked $38 for $4.10. So I think now I am set for the dog days of summer. Let's just not talk about the fall/winter clothing yet. At this rate "I'll be back in the Kids department!"
Getting back to that whole living in America thing. I couldn't be more thankful for where God decided I would be born. We are so richly blessed by His kindness in the way of provision: food, clothing, shelter. It saddens me when I hear people complain. Oh it really breaks my heart. The other day I heard a child say "Oh man, I have to eat FRESH blueberries? I WANTED frozen ones" Where else but in America? We are under the test of prosperity here. Even the poorest of us can still work and eat. Be thankful. Just be thankful...
Oh and my daughter and I? Let's just say we'll be sharing the same clothing department and closets for a while.
And, since you've read this far why don't you head on over to my daughter's and my blog and help a single mom with three children that is about to give birth. Be Pro-Life in action and word.
http://helpushelpchildren.blogspot.com/2010/06/pro-life.html